The Things We Do
by Sgt Skillcraft
Summary: *Rewrite* Told mostly from Lauren's POV. Recent events force Lauren to re-evaluate her experiences in Afghanistan and her present circumstances as the gang fights against the ancients. Slighty AU, set after 5X09. Now multi-chapter and totally COPDOC, just for the fun of it.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I had rushed with this story the first go round, so decided to rewrite it as a multi-chapter instead of a one-shot. And even though I am not signed on to any ship, it's COPDOC – because it is interesting to me since it was hinted but not cannon.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

Chapter One: 9 Lines

She hadn't thought about Afghanistan for years. Mentioned, yes, really thought about - no. She had blocked out everything about it except the valuable skills she had gained there. That was why she had volunteered in the first place; the wanted terrorist Karen Beattie was dead, and Dr. Lauren Lewis needed real trauma experience to start her new life. Being a doctor and saving lives was the best way she could think of to make amends for the lives she had accidently taken; her rotting in a prison cell wouldn't bring the dead back to life. But the guilt over what she had done followed her into the war, and tinted her perceptions of the people around her. She hated the war; the killing. She wanted to forget about it; she needed to forget about it. But the sight of white wings painted with blood brought her thoughts back to her experiences in Kandahar so many years ago, dragging her buried emotions along with them.

The tattered, blood spattered patch was one the souvenir she saved from her year stint there. After all she had been through with the fae, and her love for Bo, she didn't know why she had even bothered. Everything else she had brought back had been discarded over the years. She wasn't even sure if she still had it. But she had searched it out, and here it was, in her hands once again. As she read the motto once again embroidered on it, she realized just how much she misunderstood the whole situation, both then and now.

She wanted her new life to be about helping people; to heal them. A battlefield hospital was the best place to gain that experience. Her life was already on 'pause,' so it was easy decision to go as a civilian doctor contracted to ISAF. It wasn't, however, an easy thing to go through. To hear the cries of the injured and dying calling out to their mothers or other loved ones while she tried desperately to help them instead of comfort them. It was emotionally draining. There were few people she felt comfortable opening up to in the war zone. She was afraid the few civilian native English speaking contractors there might be intelligence agents who knew about her past. And the Russian woman who worked at the makeshift hair salon talked incessantly about trying to snag a husband, and little else. Talking about the killing all around them, the multiple rocket attacks on the base nightly, and mourning the dead was topic non grata. What could be more urgent topic for discussion? She didn't understand.

She certainly couldn't talk with the military people from any of the many represented countries. The place was a veritable United Nations with soldiers instead of diplomats. Most of them were here to aid in the killing of others, either directly or indirectly. And they were a crude bunch, for the most part. She didn't interact with them much outside of work, and being stuck in a bunker with them during rocket attacks was excruciating. They would casually chat about football pools and 'who's doing who' speculation or various other mundane gossip. It was never about their homes, or loved ones when the danger of being in a war zone was most palpable. The possible death raining down was never open for discussion. They were like children, she had thought. They were arrogant in their ignorance. She hated how they took pride in their ambivalence to danger. They didn't understand.

Her only comfort in the war zone was the coffee shop. There was a Tim Hortons, but it was next to the concrete 'hockey rink' her fellow Canadians built inside the wooden square boardwalk. Dodging the racquetball they used as a 'puck' reminded her too much that she was in a war zone. So, she usually chose the Green Bean next to the administrative building pockmarked with bullet holes colloquially revered to as 'Taliban's Last Stand.' The Pakistani men who worked there knew how she liked her coffee. They always had it ready for her by the time she made it to the front of the perpetually long line with a smile. That's where she first saw the patch, while sipping her drink before work. Dark brown shaggy hair, red beard and not in uniform (which US Military personnel were required to wear), he looked like a civilian. But his patch and accent gave him away as an American military special operator. He was looking for her, and her boss at the hospital pointed her out to him. "You Dr. Lewis? Grab a three day bag and meet me at the rescue ramp in 30 minutes."

She had no choice but to go, to the forward operating location at Tarin Kowt. But she wanted to go; it was a chance to help the critically injured too unstable to risk the flight to Kandahar. It was also a chance to treat the locals with their illnesses and injuries. The helicopter already had rotors turning when she arrived. Red Beard ignored her; he was busy with his teammate getting their equipment loaded. But the maintenance mechanics gave her earplugs and a headset to wear on her flight before ushering her under the turning blades and securing her with a wide belt that had a tether attached to an anchor point and she sat against the back of the cabin. Two of them got into the bird and belted up with her, a nervous looking young man and an older woman. The young man sat on his helmet facing her, the woman in the cabin doorway with legs dangling out like the operators. As he gazed at the doctor with nervous, apologetic eyes, she felt might be a kindred spirit. He felt the horrors of the war, as she did. Lauren smiled warmly at him.

Suddenly, the woman in the doorway turned to her and shoved a bunch of manila envelopes into her hand. Lauren took them curiously, as the maintainer laughed. Motion sickness bags. She indicated her comrade's body armor, and mimed vomiting. Lauren eyes searched his patches: 'Fun Meter pegged', 'You sent me to Afghanistan – You Bastards!' until she saw his identification patch. 'Crew Chief' his specialty, 'Barf' his name, apparently. _How can these people be so cruel, even to each other?_ She thought as the frightening shaking of the helicopter eased somewhat as they began to taxi out. Soon they lifted off smoothly, and flew at low altitude. The horizon shifted radically to and fro as the bird yanked and banked, climbed and dove to follow the rugged terrain. And Barf lived up to his nickname. _Oh boy. Sympathetic regurgitation, welcome to the party._ Lauren thought as she took a bag of her own out of an envelope. The smell was quite stomach-wrenching. The two gunners scanning out their windows and the passengers enjoying the fresh air out of the cabin doors thankfully chose to ignore the puke fest going on inside the cabin.

Once at TK, things got better for Lauren. It was strange; she thought it would be hell being so close to the actual fighting. But the service member were visibly more relaxed there, as if the danger of reprimand from a high ranking officer were worse than the increased risk of attack from the enemy. And she was allowed to attend the clinics the American and Aussie Special Forces medics held for the local Afghanis. Red Beard was always by her side, like a guard dog, asking her medical questions and handing out candy he produced from his copious pockets to the children. He was a medic, among his other duties, and he wanted to be a doctor some day. Maybe he was different. Maybe he was like her. But he was always armored and armed, vigilant for any sign of danger. She began to believe he had a crush on her.

Your duty day never ended at a forward operating location, or FOL as the military folk called it out of their love for acronyms. The 9 line reports requesting aid could be called in at any time, so you worked when needed. But it was reminiscent of camping back home at night, when the maintainers would build a bonfire out of discarded ammo pallets. Watching Barf break them up with large rocks made her laugh, which she apologized for doing. He merely grinned, spit out a stream of tobacco juice, and shrugged before carrying on, "Improvise, adapt and overcome!" How disgusting. She had thought he was like her, but he wasn't – he was one of them, no matter how cruelly they treated him. He wore their nickname for him like a badge of honor, and merrily engaged in their long running and ever escalating prank war. It was he that had placed the dead snake in the toilet, frightening the wits out of the female maintainer that flew up on the helicopter with him and mocked his weak stomach. She had run awkwardly out of the bathroom with her pants around her ankles. But, despite the other service members tormenting her now on a daily basis, she had complimented Barf on his clever retaliation. Lauren would never get these people.

Sitting around the fire, it was all too easy to forget where she was. Red Beard would sit with her and talk about impressionist art, and Dickens, philosophy, Vivaldi – whatever she was interested in he seemed well versed and educated about enough to offer an informed opinion. They sat and ate the white chocolate macadamia nut cookies mysteriously unavailable at the main base. It was unexpectedly pleasant in this poorly equipped outpost. Until the last night, when he tactfully hinted she meant more to him than a mere colleague. She responded, equally tactfully, that though she valued his company, she wasn't attracted to him in that way. He said he could be happy just being friends. She was glad. Someone did understand her, she wasn't alone. He _wasn't_ like them.

The next day she changed her mind. He was _worse_ than them. While she was treating some locals who were injured by an old Russian land mine, he killed a boy. Yes, the boy had an AK 47. And yes, he was shooting at them from behind a car. But he was a _boy,_ maybe fifteen years old, if that. Red Beard killed him, and felt nothing. His comrades of all nationalities _congratulated_ him on his quick reaction and accurate shooting, yet never mentioned that he had saved their lives by killing a boy. He thanked them as they cleared the area and rushed Lauren back to the FOL. She was horrified. Lauren silently shed tears as the rest of the cadre remained alert for further attack and casually made small talk and joked with each other. These people weren't merely beyond her understanding – they were insane.

She avoided him after that, and it was easier to do since she returned to Kandahar that evening. But she did see him in the ER, on occasion. Always professional, never personal, their conversations were curt and tense and strictly work-related. Dr. Lewis was a professional; she could do her job and ask the necessary medical questions of a man she loathed for the sake of her patient. Although she never mentioned her feelings over what happened that day, he seemed to know how she felt without it being said explicitly. He understood her, even though she didn't understand him. But after every time he left the hospital to return to the killing, she would find a package of the cookies they enjoyed together at the FOL on her desk.

The last day she saw him he wasn't bringing in a patient; he was the patient. His body ripped to shreds by shrapnel, his teammate had informed her a suicide bomber dressed as a woman in a burka got close to him. He had been handing out candy to the children in a village near Kandahar when the bomber approached him. His wounds were fatal; they all knew it, and Red Beard did, too. All she could do was keep him comfortable until the end, which didn't take long. His comrades mourned him silently for a few minutes, before their radio toned out an alert – another 9 line report, another life hanging by a thread. They quickly sprang into action, grabbing their fallen friend's gear and rushing out of the hospital. But one paused and turned to her, pulling the Velcro patch off Red Beard's load bearing vest he would never need again. "He was fond of you, and I think he would want you to have this, Doc." He grabbed her hand and pressed it into her palm, and she thought she might have seen unshed tears glistening in his brown eyes. But it may have been the dust that was ever present and even blocked out the sun at times, because he jogged quickly after his teammates without even waiting for her to reply. As the military doctors took the dead man to mortuary affairs personnel, she realized she never even knew his real name.

After her tour was over, she began her life again. And it was such an adventure, Africa, Nadia, slave to the Ash - and then Bo came into her life. She was such a breath of fresh air, beautiful and charming. But what really drew her to the succubus was how much alike they were in their desire to help people and their abhorrence of violence, of killing. She understood Bo, and Bo felt the same towards her. Lauren was no longer alone; she had found a kindred spirit, a soul mate. And she had found the love of her life.

Muffled moans and mumbled words in a language unidentifiable to her broke her out of her reverie. He patient was talking in her sleep again. She had done more than just talk in her sleep over the past two days in the clinic. She had screamed, both in anger and terror, and at times – sobbed so heart-wrenchingly Lauren almost cried with her and had to leave the room. But she hadn't regained consciousness, and the doctor was beginning to worry that she never would. Lauren tucked the patch into the pocket of her lab coat and walked over to Tamsin's beside to check on her. She was lying on her stomach, necessitated by the fact that her wings were out – and broken. Lauren had set and splinted the damaged bones as best she could. The doctor placed a hand gently on the Valkyrie's shoulder to calm her. She knew the snarky blonde hated people touching her hair, and so avoided laying a hand on her head. She was a killer, and like Red Beard, had remorselessly killed to save the doctor before her very own eyes. It was a sight both horrifying and sublime to behold. And that is what had triggered her memories of Kandahar.

After Bo had opened the box and freed her Hades, they dispatched the Nyx. But Zeus didn't give up trying to carry out her evil plan to gain dominion over the earth. She was now recruiting from the after-life realms, and Bo went with her father to Tartarus to do the same. Lauren didn't have the ability to travel there with her, but Tamsin did. And the succubus had insisted she come along to help her, which the Valkyrie scoffed at and refused to do in a way both unnecessarily rude and vulgar. They had argued, the shouting match nearly escalating into an all out physical brawl. But Lauren stepped in to calm the situation. Once Bo had left in a huff with a parting verbal low blow to her former roommate that even made Lauren wince, she made her own attempt to sway the Valkyrie.

Tamsin was literally shaking with shame and anger at Bo's vicious and very public mockery of her tearful confession of love, but said nothing. Lauren observed her carefully as she stepped closer to try to convince the Valkyrie to aid in their efforts to stop Zee by working with the woman who rejected her. She tried to remind the warrior that they needed her, now, and maybe by letting the Valkyrie know how much she commiserated her she could sooth her wounded heart. As she laid a comforting hand on the Valkyrie's arm she said softly, "Tamsin…I've been there, and…she didn't mean that…"

The taller blonde sighed and closed her eyes. "Oh, yes she did. She meant every single word of it. You don't know what you are talking about, Lewis."

She felt encouraged when she no longer felt the woman's body trembling beneath her hand and tried to comfort her by pulling her closer, "No, Tamsin, I do. I know her, and I understand how you feel."

The Valkyrie's features morphed into an expression of outrage briefly as she opened her eyes and looked at her in pure disbelief before shaking her head, "No, Lewis. I don't think you understand how I feel at all. None of you do."

Lauren silently agreed with her. She didn't understand the mercurial Valkyrie, and everyone in their group felt the same way. But she still persisted in trying to enlist her aid, albeit more forcefully, "Can't you put aside your feelings and do the right thing?!" She was beginning to get angry now. Dr. Lewis was the consummate professional, she could do that – why couldn't Tamsin?

The Valkyrie laughed bitterly in response and looked at the ceiling as she told Lauren, "Oh, I always put aside my feelings. You have no idea." She looked back at her before telling her earnestly, "But I have something more important to do than traipse after a woman who has no idea what the fuck she is doing and doesn't give a shit about me." She extricated herself from the doctor's grip with a violent shrug and stormed out of the bar. Tamsin was a mystery wrapped in a conundrum.

That important 'thing' Tamsin needed to do happened the next evening. Lauren had just come home and poured herself a glass of wine when Stacey broke through the locked door, shredding it. And she wasn't alone this time, though Dr. Lewis was. Bo was still in Tartarus, and Dyson was off with his son on their own mission. The vengeful Valkyrie didn't waste any time with snarky comments or threats this time and got right down to business, snatching Lauren by her blonde hair throwing her against the wall before wrapping both hands around her neck. Her companions stood near the door with swords drawn, making sure they wouldn't be interrupted. But they were, and in a way Lauren would have never foreseen. As her vision spotted and began to narrow to a pinpoint, Lauren heard a deafening roar that echoed and rumbled like rolling thunder even after it was ended. Her body fell to the ground, vision still spotty and unreliable, yet her ears reported the shouts and scuffling of a fight clearly.

When she did fully regain control of her faculties, she saw the aftermath. Dead Valkyrie littered the floor and two yet living were fighting on it. Stacey was on her back, bloodied and injured but desperately kicking and squirming in a vain attempt to stay alive. Tamsin was sitting on top of her throttling the very life out of her with her bare hands in the same manner Stacey had tried to kill Lauren. Her rescuer's wings were out and hanging limply, broken and covered with blood - her face a mask of death. _I need to stop this! Stacey is still alive, and maybe I can save her!_ Lauren thought. It was what she did, after all. Her reason for living was to save people.

"Tamsin – **stop!** You're **killing** her! _Please,_ Tamsin! It's over!" But Lauren's emphatic pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. She didn't understand why Tamsin wouldn't stop now that Stacey was in no shape to hurt them any longer. In desperation, she tried to physically pry the woman off her victim, to no avail. Once it was over and Stacey no longer drew breath, Tamsin's face returned to normal, she released her hold on her victim's neck and leaned back. Wavering in an upright position for a mere second she offered Lauren a sorrowfully apologetic smile before falling backward onto her broken wings. _Oh no, no, no, Tamsin, NO!_ Lauren now knew why Tamsin had to finish off her rival despite Lauren begging for her to spare their attacker's life. In addition to her other injuries, the handle of a large carving knife was protruding from her chest.

"Oh no, Tamsin…no…stay with me…hang on…you're going to be alright…I've got you…"The doctor soothed as she gathered up the woman dangerously near death and somehow managed to get her on the couch, gingerly laying her down on her back and broken wings. She knew it must be incredibly painful to the Valkyrie, but the injury to her chest was critical.

Tamsin was barely conscious, and muttered a sarcastic apology instead commenting on her condition or offering any explanation as to why or how she came to be there in the first place. "Sorry about the mess, Lewis. But, in my defense, you are a lousy host. You didn't even offer me a drink." She tried to laugh at her own joke, but ended up coughing up blood in the effort before falling unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Battle Buddies

Tamsin's voice pulled Lauren's attention from her memories and back to the present, once again. But this time, the Valkyrie's mutterings were lucid, yet confused. "Where the hell am I?" She had apparently healed enough to rouse herself from her self-induced coma.

Lauren pulled her hand from the injured woman's shoulder in surprise and blurted out, "Oh, you're awake."

"No shit." The Valkyrie mumbled into her pillow, eyes still closed.

Lauren wanted to ask her so many questions about why she did what she had done. She wanted to give the Valkyrie her heartfelt gratitude for saving her life, and tell her how indebted she felt towards her now. She wanted to tell her she knew the Valkyrie had always sacrificed for the good of the group, and apologize for the time she accused her of never doing so. Her instincts as a doctor urged her to comfort her patient and offer consolation for her injuries, both physical and emotional. The doctor was more than just a healer of physical injuries; she knew a great deal about psychology. And the behavior exhibited by the injured woman of late certainly was symptomatic of suicidally reckless behavior. Tamsin was certainly not the fun-loving, snarky woman she had been in the past – she was distant, morose. The once proud and cynical woman had become submissive and polite of late, with the exception of the argument with Bo before the succubus left for the underworld. _She could have told Bo or Dyson about her belief that Stacey was coming back with reinforcements. Why else would she take them on alone if not hoping to die in battle?_

Before Dr. Lewis could reply, her patient spoke again. "How long was I out?"

"Two days." She opened her mouth and was about to start the standard 'how are you feeling' questioning followed by a litany of her sustained injuries when the memories of the people of Kandahar stopped her. Tamsin was just like them. _She had cried when I tried to comfort her while Dyson was having sex with Bo after Musashi stabbed her. She doesn't need our pity; she needs to reminded that she is a fighter._ Lauren's mouth pulled into the most obnoxiously smug smile she could muster so as not to betray her feelings of concern. "You've racked up one hell of a medical bill, you know. However are you going to pay it?" Lauren mused sarcastically, for once speaking to the Valkyrie in her own language – the language of a warrior.

Tamsin opened her eyes at this, and regarded her quizzically for a moment, put off by the unexpected taunting by the normally nurturing doctor. "Hmmm, why don't you just send it straight to collections? Save yourself the effort. It's Evony's clinic anyways, so who cares? And, by the way, your bedside manner sucks!" She spat back with vitriol, though her eyes were sparkling as she carefully picked herself off the bed with a grunt of pain she failed to suppress.

Lauren fought the urge to help her or offer comforting words, and instead continued with their banter. "OK, but that still leaves the small matter of my ruined couch. Ya kinda bled all over it. Such a shame. You know, it really tied the room together." She mused, in a feigned wistful manner as she tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling with an index finger tapping the corner of her mouth as if deep in thought.

Tamsin, now sitting upright on the bed looked at her with a huge grin, mockingly shot back, "Fuck yo couch, Lauren!"

Lauren laughed with her. But when the laughter died down, she realized too late that the Valkyrie was hunching her shoulders blades together in order to retract her wings to stop it, although she did try. "No! Don't do that! Tamsin -"

"Ooouuuwwww! Shit, Lewis! What the fuck?"

"Uh, hello, I did tell you not to do that." Lauren rolled her eyes. "Your wings have sustained multiple breaks and lacerations. Let me take those splints off and check your injuries before you try that again." The doctor proceeded to remove the splints and bandages carefully, taking in the beautifully muscled back of the nearly naked woman and noting how her efforts made the woman tremble. _She must still be in considerable pain._ the doctor deduced. After she had finished her task, she gently ran her hands over the fresh, ugly red scars on the skin laid bare of feathers and determined that the broken bones had healed enough for the Valkyrie to retract her wings. "OK, I think you can safely put them away now."

She seemed relieved to finally be able to do so, and climbed off the bed with a sigh of satisfaction. Dr. Lewis watched in fascination as the wings folded and disappeared into the back of her patient, leaving red welts that disappeared quickly with no trace even though her scars from her recent battle were still clearly visible. Only after the process was complete did she notice the bare muscular ass of the Valkyrie, and she hitched in a breath involuntarily. It was a nice ass, after all. Tamsin was apparently not bothered at all that the open hospital gown revealed her naked backside, or aware of her companion's reaction to the sight of it. Lauren swallowed thickly and closed her eyes, assuming Tamsin would close the back of her gown now that her wings no longer prevented her from doing so. But the Valkyrie's lack of modesty in her nakedness was proven as fact beyond a doubt when she casually shed the garment and revealed the rest of her body to the doctor when she turned to her and asked light-heartedly, "Aaaauumm, Clothes?"

Lauren opened her eyes and was initially shocked into silence. _Well, just like a soldier; they all shower together, after all._ But when she did speak, she reverted back to her instinctual verbal responses at the sight of the unabashedly unashamed naked Valkyrie, "Oh, right, sorry! I…Ah… I really think you need to stay in bed here for awhile…the wound to your chest still hasn't healed com -"

Her patient furrowed her eyes at her sudden change in attitude. "Uh, I don't think so…" She crossed her arms over her bare breasts and tilted her head. "And even if I do stay here and let you play doctor with me, I am **not** wearing that ass-baring outfit!" she smirked.

Lauren shifted gears and shot back, "Well I didn't think the corpse of a Valkyrie would need any clothes, sorry. My bad. I'll grab you something, but it won't be haute couture." She turned on her heels and left her there.

She found a set of scrubs she thought might fit Tamsin in the supply closet of the lab, retuning to find her patient standing exactly as she had left her, but apparently deep in thought. She took the clothes Lauren handed her wordlessly and put them on as the doctor stared at her, wondering what it was the Valkyrie thinking about. Once dressed, she sighed sadly and looked up. She seemingly just now realizing Lauren had been watching her the whole time. Head tilted to one side, eyebrows raised in curiosity she asked, "Enjoy the show?"

 _Deny, deny, deny! Apologize, make up an excuse!_ Lauren's mind screamed. But her mouth had a mind of its own, and she smugly smirked, "Yeah. Yeah I did."

Tamsin laughed at her honesty, and quipped back, "OK, well, I'm glad. Because it's gonna cost you. Let's go get drunk – you're buying!" she pointed at Lauren with an index finger, playful grin plastered across her face.

The physician instinct took control once again came out in Lauren's words as she told her emphatically, "Tamsin, you nearly died. You haven't healed completely, and Bo and Dyson are still away. I don't think it's safe -"

The Valkyrie's face lapsed once more into the sorrowful expression that had recently become the norm for her, and she exhaled loudly through her nose and said, "OK, fine. I'll drink alone. Nothing new for me." she started to march out of the room on slightly unsteady legs when the doctor barred her path with an outstretched arm.

"Ooohhhh, no you don't! You still need medical supervision." Lauren's sudden boldness surprised both of them, and so much so it stopped the Valkyrie dead in her tracks as she glared at the doctor in shock.

"What makes _**you**_ think you can stop me?" she asked in indignation, then raised her eyebrows and tilted her head down at the shorter woman to drive the obvious point home to the human.

The battle-tested doctor dug deep into her own insight before answering the challenge. Tamsin was just like the people she served with in the war, she saw it now. She was beginning to understand. They were full of bravado and mischief, because they knew their life could end at any minute. And they did so with gusto, bonding over the fact that they had proven to each other that they were mentally strong enough to be relied upon in the heat of battle. They _**did**_ feel the fear and sorrow, even if they didn't show it - negative emotions spread like a weed once they took root while strength and fortitude needed careful nurturing to thrive. Lauren had put her life on hold during the war, while everyone else was _living_ theirs. And the Valkyrie was no different. Tamsin had seen so much in her long life, and it seemed like her war would never end. She was perpetually in battle mode, but had no one rely on right now. _I am here for her, but she doesn't believe that I am strong enough for her to lean on, yet. Before she will trust me, I'll have to prove my strength to her._

A sudden idea came to her, and she gave a wry smile as decided now would be a good time to let the Valkyrie in on her newly acquired powers. "Tell you what – let's make a bet. If you are strong enough to beat me in an arm-wrestling contest, you can go. If not, you agree to stay under my care until I give you a clean bill of health." she proposed with an eyebrow raised in challenge.

The Valkyrie laughed bitterly, "Are you fucking kidding me! Let's dance, Lewis!"

Lauren nodded and pulled over a rolling hospital table to the middle of the bedside, motioning Tamsin to side across from her on the bed. They each placed their right elbows on the table top, slowly taking the other's hand in a grip as they stared at each other intensely, both wearing a neutral expression. Lauren drew in a deep breath and concentrated on drawing the power of the other woman before counting down, "On three. One…two…" she smiled once she found and recognized the physical strength of the Valkyrie coursing within her, "…three!"

The contest began with Tamsin quickly pushing hard to end it as soon as possible and get her drink on, only to be thwarted by the fact that her opponent's arm hadn't budged despite her efforts. She grimaced, both in shock and humiliation as she stared intensely into Lauren's eyes and leaned into her arm to gain more leverage. But the supposedly human's arm didn't budge, and she narrowed her eyes as she returned the stare of her opponent. Neither of them spoke as they struggled, equally matched, to gain the upper hand in their little contest.

The Valkyrie's face gradually became more serene, despite the fact that she continued her physical exertions to win their contest of strength. _Oh my God, I hope she isn't going to try to use her doubt on me! I don't know if I can retaliate in kind!_ Dr. Lewis decided to give voice to her suspicions and nip that strategy in the bud. "Using your doubt is cheating, Tamsin – no fae powers! You have to physically beat me without them!" she stated with the air of a schoolmarm scolding a naughty student.

Tamsin set her jaw angrily, and hissed out "Fine. Have it your way." Without any further warning or preamble, the Valkyrie lunged forward and pressed her lips to Lauren's, pulling the reluctant doctor's head towards her with her free hand.

Dr. Lewis, for her part, was far too surprised to react, but still in control of herself enough to not cease in her endeavors to best the Valkyrie in their arm wrestling match. That is, until Tamsin pulled her lower lip between her teeth, gently biting down and sucking on it. The one-sided kiss only lasted a scant second or two, but for Lauren it seemed an eon. And she didn't even know it ended until the pain of the back of her right hand being slammed forcefully onto the table informed her that she had lost the contest. She came back to her senses and realized her patient had already moved away and was standing up to leave.

"I win!" the Valkyrie gloated with a smirk, arms crossed and evil grin on her face as if challenging Lauren to dispute the fact, which she did.

"You cheated." the bested doctor stated evenly, still in a bit of a daze. Tamsin was so unpredictable.

"Uh, no I didn't. I didn't use my powers. You just lose focus too easily. Not my fault." She dropped her arms and turned to head out the door, sans shoes, but stopped when she realized the doctor wasn't following. "Let's go, Lewis. I'm broke, and I'm thirsty."

Lauren agreed with her request with a small laugh. I was the least she could do. "Alright, fair enough – but on one condition: you come back here afterwards." Taking in the attire of her patient she added, "I think you might want to put on some shoes, and don't you think we should change first?" She indicated their matching scrubs. "I mean, you wouldn't want people to think I was your girlfriend or anything." Lauren teased her with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, much in the same manner she had seen Tamsin do on so many occasions.

The Valkyrie grew unexpectantly pensive at the playful taunt. She looked at the floor as she whispered, "If I had a girlfriend, I would never leave her alone knowing her life was in danger. I know how much you two are in lo-"

"Oh, for fuck's sake Tamisn! Are you pussying out on me?" Lauren interrupted, uncharacteristically crudely. It was true; Bo had left them all knowing both Tamsin and Lauren were under threat from Valhalla. But they were all in a battle to save the world, and everyone had to pull their own weight. She had already realized Tamsin's weakness long ago – it was her feelings for Bo. But now she would make her confront them order to overcome them, instead of soothing it temporarily with consolation. It was what any battle buddy would do.

The Valkyrie looked at her with an almost angry expression. "No, of course not. Let's go. But your bank account balance will make you regret it tomorrow." She predicted, pointing at her with an index finger.

The doctor laughed, "Well, I doubt that's the only regret I'll have after our drunkfest!" she responded with a strange look in her eyes Tamsin couldn't identify as she dragged the flabbergasted Valkyrie out the lab's door.

"Lewis, I'll never understand you, and the things you do!" the Valkyrie stated in frustration as they walked into a nearby bar.

Lauren thought of Red Beard's patch in the pocket of her lab coat, the wings of the guardian angel it depicted blood stained just as was the motto stitched on it that read "That Others May Live." She summoned the bartender before turning back to her unlikely drinking partner.

Dr. Lewis smiled warmly at her companion before answering, "Yeah, well, that's bullshit, and you know it. We aren't so different, you and I. So, I kinda think you **do** understand."

Tamsin's green eyes grew wide at what she saw in her companion's. She downed the shot the bartender placed in front of her before answering in a mock conspiratorial voice, "You are going to be in soooo much trouble!" The Valkyrie turned from Lauren asked the bartender for the bottle and drummed out a little tattoo on the bar top while staring off into the distance. She stilled her nervous tapping and sighed, "Soooo, you made yourself fae, didn't you?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: sorry, still processing 5X12, usually on Twitter. Ugh. I will update my other story as soon as I make some sense out of my own disjointed ramblings. Eh, no worse than the latest LG writing. Not saying much, though.**

 **So, just to be clear, totally COPDOC, and not following cannon after 5X09. Thanks guys, for reading.**

Chapter 3: How Do Promises End?

They drank amiably at the bar while the doctor explained in layman's terms that she wasn't really fae, she had merely genetically engineered her DNA using fae cells to achieve their longevity. She normally wouldn't open up the Valkyrie like this, but felt some camaraderie with her the woman had saved her life a second time. But the reaction she was receiving was making her rethink her decision. Tamsin facial expression grew more and more worried as listened intently, eyes glued to the doctor's. "You see, I don't have any fae powers of my own, per se, but can tap into and use those of any fae that I am touching. It wasn't something I had orchestrated intentionally, but an unforeseen side effect. A serendipitous perk, if you will." She concluded smirk, but turned and dropped her head quickly to gaze at her hands holding her glass on the bar. She couldn't look into those expressive green eyes anymore; the concern in them called forth her own buried feelings of apprehension at the unexpected results.

"I see." The Valkyrie said flatly. "Hey barkeep, do you work here or is this a self-serve situation?" she groused forcefully at the unfortunate young man behind the bar. Tamsin pushed the empty liquor bottle across the counter at him and motioned for another. He hurried hurriedly fetched another bottle, but hesitated before placing on the bar top, catching Lauren's attention to silently ask with a raised eyebrow if she approved the addition to her running tab.

She nodded her assent as she mulled over the taller blonde's sudden change in attitude as the Valkyrie poured and downed immediately several shots in succession without pause. _Oh shit; what was I thinking! She is still in love with Bo, and was probably hoping for another chance with her after I die!_ Lauren turned back to her companion and opened her mouth to change the subject, but Tamsin beat her to the punch and steered the conversation steadily on its original course.

"And how did you manage that so suddenly? I'm curious. With everything going on right now: trying to make Evony fae again, treating Mark, running a clinic, chasing after Bo on her missions? How did you find the solution for it after trying for so many years? You made Taft fae, and Evony human, but still couldn't manage to finish your little project so you could be with your love – until now!" as she spoke her eyebrows furrowed, her was speech accusatory; but her voice was strained with emotions that were difficult for the doctor to identify objectively. Dr. Lewis deduced the obvious choices were jealousy and anger; and obvious solutions were usually the correct ones.

"I don't think that's any of your business, Tamsin. And even if I did tell you, I doubt you would understand." Lauren coldly informed her, the indignation in her rising to meet the jealous woman's challenge and bristling in anticipation of the other woman's response. But she never got one as the taller blonde stared back a brief moment before nodding slightly and turned back to her mission. She poured herself another drink, holding up her glass and staring at the amber liquid. Her eyes darted over the Valkyrie as she wondered how this evening had gone to shit so quickly. Eventually, the sullen woman finally slowly drank down her shot as if relishing the painful burn it caused. Lauren watched puzzled, as she toyed with the bottle for a few minutes and eventually poured another, never looking at her benefactor who was treating her to free liquor. Lauren closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, exhaling slowly to try to reset her assessment of the situation. She missed something in her theory of the Valkyrie's emotions driving the questioning of her. _If she was jealous, she could have went to Tartarus with Bo and let her sisters kill me. She could have had Bo all to herself without lifting a finger. There must be more to it than that – something else is bothering her. Was she actually concerned and worried – about me? Oh shit! Of course she is; gods how stupid of me to be so defensive after she risked her life for me! And now she is shutting down again to protect herself from her own emotions._ The doctor opened her eyes and watched her patient down another shot in silence. "Tamsin, I'm sor-"

"Don't be!" the Valkyrie snapped her head around and spat out, eyes wild with raging emotions. This time, there was no mistaking the vitriol behind her words. "You're right – it's none of my fucking business, and I'll never understand a fucking thing about love!" she clamped her mouth shut and clenched her teeth in an effort to stop any further unbidden words from spilling out and focused her attentions back on her drinking as if nothing happened. She had said too much already – Lauren had somehow managed to coax a measure of trust out of her that she now regretted giving the doctor.

"I uh.." Lauren cleared her throat, shocked at the sudden outburst, but determined to make things right between them. _Love? What the hell made her say that? Freudian slip, Tamsin? Oh no. She must have thought I was talking about my relationship with Bo!_ Lauren gestured with her hands in front of her, palms out, as she tried to placate the Valkyrie, "I wasn't talking about love, Tamsin. I only meant-"

"Drop it Lauren! I already told you – you're right. You win. Let it go." She said, dropping her head and shaking it with eyes closed tightly and hands out mimicking Lauren's body language even though she hadn't looked at her when she did so. Tamsin wasn't going to hear any of it; she had already been hurt after opening up to Bo. Once she had exposed her caring, vulnerable nature to her love, the subsequent cold treatment by the succubus had shamed her - and there was no way in hell she was going to take that risk again. Especially not with the girlfriend of the woman she loved.

Dr. Lewis sighed, reverting back to Plan A – get drunk with her patient against all medical sensibilities and logic. Thinking the alcohol float the Valkyrie's buried thoughts and emotions to the surface, she decided to wait for her to speak again. She turned to her own glass and wordlessly grabbed the bottle from her mute comrade to fill it. They drank in silence until the bottle was nearly empty and the bartender rang the bar bell announcing last call, startling Lauren. She reached in her lab coat and produced her wallet, paying the man for their drinks and getting a bottle to go. Tamsin became abruptly more animated at the sound of the bell, and as energetically as a thoroughbred racehorse out of the starting gate downed her shot and began drinking straight out of their open bottle with gusto. Once she finished it, she slammed it on the bar and finally addressed the ever patient doctor, "Thanks for the drinks. See ya around, Lewis."

Lauren watched dumbfounded as her companion jumped up and breezily headed for the exit and just as she was a few steps from the door the doctor finally shouted out "WAIT!" She turned around on her barstool to face the Valkyrie, who surprisingly was slowly turning to face her. But now that she had the other woman's attention, Dr. Lewis didn't know how to proceed, or even why she had tried to stop her in the first place. Was it her Hippocratic Oath, concern for a friend, Bo's need for the Valkyrie's assistance, or something she didn't want to think about? Something that jumped immediately to mind, and kept demanding her attention despite her conscious efforts to drive it out of her mind. "I…uh…"

Tamsin was growing impatient, and crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow to drive the fact home to Dr. Lewis. The bar was emptying quickly, as the patrons paid their tabs and stumbled out past the fuming blonde by the door and out into the night.

Figuring it would be easier to talk with the fuming Valkyrie if she closed the distance between them, and it would also buy her some time, Lauren got up and walked over to her. _OK, now what? I can't ask her to talk about why she kissed me. Shit! Why do I keep thinking about that! We both love Bo – that much is certain. She only did it to win the bet. Wait! That's it!_ Her mentally obsessing over the brief kiss had unexpectedly given her the perfect solution to her tongue-tied dilemma. "We had a deal. You said you would stay at the clinic until I release you. You promised – and I'm holding you to it." Lauren smirked at her own serendipitously perfect way to get the Valkyrie to acquiesce to her by appealing to her loyalty and honesty.

The Valkyrie stared at Dr. Lewis in stunned silence; she obviously hadn't expected such a ballsy yet petty demand to spill from the shorter blondes lips. Tamsin uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on the doctor's shoulders, laughing sarcastically, "Pretty funny Lewis! Tell you what, send me the liquor bill. Wolf boy knows where to find me. But make it quick, I won't be around for long. I think I've made enough reparations to pay for all my transgressions, with interest."

She began to move away again, but this time Lauren was ready. Grapping Tamsin's right hand with her own before the Valkyrie could pull it off her shoulder, she pulled power from the fae easily without having to concentrate. "You're not leaving. You are going back to the clinic." The power of the Valkyrie surged within her, and she explored the full extent of the newfound resource. She wasn't even aware her eye sockets were darkening as she unconsciously tapped into Tamsin's powers of doubt. "The real reason you are running is because you are afraid of your feelings. You are ashamed that even though you never shirk from any physical fight or threat of death, if someone hurts your feelings you run away like a frightened little girl!"

Tamsin looked terrified, eyes wide in horror as she alternated between staring at the doctor and darting her eyes to and fro. And her protégé took it as a sign that she was winning this battle of doubt and wills and concentrated harder, eyebrows furrowing in concentration as the physical manifestation of her power spread darkness across her facial features. "Lauren, stop this! You don't know what you are _doing!_ " she hissed in desperation.

"I think it's you who don't know what you are doing." Valkyrie Dr. Lewis stated, tilting her head slightly.

"Shit!" Tamsin whispered in answer, her eyes following a drunken man pushing past the pair. It was difficult for her to concentrate with the amount of doubt the doctor was pushing into her. After he had thankfully left the bar without turning back to see Lauren's face, the taller woman turned back to stare at her competitor. The true Valkyrie's own eye sockets darkened, but only slightly, when she shot back, "You think you are smarter than everyone, and so you treat us all like children because you think you know what's best for us. But you don't know better, do you, Dr. Lewis.?"

Dr. Lewis laughed, "Is that all you got?"

"No, there's more." She stepped closer not only to intimidate the human, but to prevent anyone from seeing the extra-human activity going on. "You can't even tell Bo what you are up to, because she might point out the dangers. And when your shit blows up in your face and people get hurt – you act like you never meant it to happen. You're a killer, and you won't even own it."

Lauren was enraged, ashamed and hurt all at once as she screamed out, "That's not true!" and felt an increase in power as her anger caused something to happen within her she couldn't control. All she knew was pain was shooting across her back, and she pushed her shoulders back in an effort to relieve it. There was a loud commotion in the bar immediately, but she didn't bother to turn and investigate the collective shout and noises of breaking glass. Dr. Lewis was going to _win_ , although she didn't know where this sudden competitive drive had come from. But whatever the ruckus was, it distracted Tamsin enough for her to beat the Valkyrie at her own game.

" _Fuck me!_ " Her facial features returned to a normal, yet frightened expression as she conceded, "OK, OK! You win! You beat me! I'll go back to the clinic! Please stop Lauren!"

The victor smiled smugly as she concentrated on allowing her features to return to normal, but glanced to her right as something caught her eye to the right of her. A glimpse of white feathers, moving to the left quickly. But she didn't have time to process what had as Tamsin had used her distraction to extricate her hand from her own and was now shoving her out the swinging doors of the bar. The night had grown significantly colder, and the slight shock of it brought her out of her giddy power trip and into the epiphany that she had just committed a fae faux pas. The Valkyrie shoved her roughly against the wall next to the door and stuck an index finger in her face, nearly touching her nose as she ordered sternly "Stay here."

Lauren's face fell as she brought her hands together and interlaced her fingers. She had demonstrated fae powers in a human bar at a time of turmoil within the clans. Not to mention the ancients on the loose. If this could not be fixed, people would be killed to keep their secrets. She could have inadvertently sentenced innocent humans to death – a death sentence that the Valkyrie might be carrying out this very moment. "No, I won't let her kill them." She whispered to herself, and pushed herself off the wall to put a stop to it, but ran right into the Valkyrie as she was exiting. "Tamsin, what have you done?" she whispered, trying to hide the guilt behind her words. Guilt for the blood that was on her hands.

The Valkyrie was surprised that she had moved, judging by her expression, and shoved her back where she had been told to remain with a frown instead of answering. She had the bottle that Lauren had purchased earlier in one hand and pressed it into her companion's abdomen. Once the doctor grasped it with both hands, she thrust both of her own into the lab coat of her captive and groped around until she fished out Dr. Lewis' cell phone. Before she could call what Lauren assumed would be a cleanup crew, Lauren found her voice and attempted to go back in as the other woman tried to physically block her. "Tamsin, I am **so** sorry….please tell me you didn't….I have to see…you didn't….there're not dead…I can't…Tamsin…I…" Dr. Lewis had to see for herself. She had to _know._ But she couldn't move. Her back was pressed against the wall, two hands were firmly yet gently holding her face, and soft lips were caressing her own. She melted, heart racing against the hard, cold bottle she clutched against her chest. She moaned, one hand releasing the bottle to wind its way through the soft blonde hair of the woman kissing her and pull her face closer to deepen the kiss. Just as she opened her mouth, it ended. Tamsin had pulled back and was now looking at her with genuine concern in her eyes.

"All better?" she asked softly. When she saw the shocked and outraged look in Dr. Lewis' eyes, she pulled herself up taller and explained in a more snarky tone, "Sorry, I tried to talk to you, but you blanked me out; like I wasn't even here. But it worked once, figured it would work again. Now shut up and let me fix this, before someone else finds out and then there will be bloodshed!" She stepped back, fetched the phone, now in her own pocket, dialed a number and stared silently at the flabbergasted doctor with a blank expression until her call was answered, when she turned away to talk.

"Hey, Smitty! Still working graveyard, huh?….no, I'm not back at the precinct….no….it's...complicated. Never mind that, listen – I need to call in that favor you owe me….some humans need to forget…not many, fifteen or so in the place, probably only one or two that need Snook's services." She snorted out a laugh, "Yeah, I am good. But most of them were pretty shitfaced….uh hum, bartender for sure….Bullshooter's, do you know the place?...Ok…ten minutes? Damn you're good! Thanks big guy!"

Tamsin ended the call and turned back to the doctor, handing her the phone. Lauren stared at her in with an expression bordering on loathing. She sighed heavily and looked at her feet, not wanting to see the accusation in her companion's eyes. But she had to face her, and so she did lift her head to answer the silent indictment. "I didn't kill anyone in there Lauren. But you can't go back in there. You might undo the doubt I placed in their minds. For now, they think the mess and anxiety was caused by a bar fight, and Simtty will take care of the rest. No one will be hurt."

"Oh, thank God!" Lauren tense body relaxed as she closed her eyes and slumped slightly in relief. When she opened them again, Tamsin was staring off into the distance, so she reached out with her free hand to take the Valkyrie's hand to reassure her – she seemed so wounded right now. "Let's get you back to the clinic."

Tamsin stared at the hand that held hers, struggling to ignore how good it felt so she could follow her instinct and run. She lifted her green eyes look into Laruen's soft brown ones. The fact that the doctor was smiling warmly at her didn't help her dilemma. "I can't. I need to…"

But Lauren turned and started walking towards the clinic, dragging the reluctant Valkyrie by their linked hands. _Two can play this distraction game,_ Lauren deduced, _she is starved for affection; even if it is from a friend. And I think, maybe I am, too._ But her words were far less insightful, and much more snarky, "You don't have a choice, you promised. And I win."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. You always win. It's getting kinda old." the Valkyrie rolled her eyes and allowed herself to be towed back to everything she longed to run away from.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Here for You Now

Dr. Lewis was standing in her lab trying to decide whether or not she was sober enough to drive back to her apartment. _I could just run a blood test to determine my exact BAC, or maybe I should just stay here tonight. I am exhausted._ After she had dragged the Valkyrie back to the clinic and gave her cursory check up, she insisted the recovering woman get some rest. Her injuries were not yet fully healed, and from what she had gleaned from her observations – sleep seemed to expedite the process. The Valkyrie protested, but Lauren ordered her to get some sleep, and laughingly declined the request of her patient to sing 'Soft Kitty' to her. Neither of them spoke about what had occurred at the bar, or the attack that had precipitated her injuries.

But Lauren did have a conversation, with Trick. The barkeep had called her after she made her way to her lab, urgently asking to speak with his granddaughter. But Bo wasn't there, and Lauren told him she was still in Tartarus last she heard. When Trick informed her she was back and visited him with Dyson earlier in the evening, her heart sank. She had never even called or messaged her own girlfriend. It had dawned on her that perhaps the succubus had tried to surprise her at the apartment or clinic while she was off with Tamsin. _I'm sure she had a good reason, and right now I am too tired to deal with this._ Nevertheless, the revelation stung her enough to drop the matter and seek solace in blissful and hopefully, dreamless, sleep.

She made her way out of the lab and towards her office and its comfortable couch, a necessity for a dedicated research physician working overtime. As she walked through the darkened doorway shrugging out of her lab coat, she bumped into something in the darkened office and nearly fell over backwards in a failed effort to put distance between her and the intruder until two strong hands on her waist held her up.

"Shit Lewis! I thought you went home!" the startled Valkyrie nearly shouted. She pulled the doctor gently upright, as her hands were caught up in her lab coat behind her. In the dim light, she couldn't see the expression of the startled woman but registered her distress by the panting breaths she was taking and the tense muscles under her hands. She dropped her hands and stepped back to allow the doctor to collect herself as she offered apologetically, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. I…couldn't sleep."

Lauren successfully shed her professional garment and tossed it aside, "Tamsin, what are you doing in my office?" she asked, not really caring in this moment why the Valkyrie was there. The pensive fae made no attempt to answer her, so she continued to get ready for bed, turning on the light switch without warning and walking past her over to the small closet in which she stored her blankets and pillow. The doctor noticed the other woman had showered and put on fresh scrubs. _Ugh, I wish I had the energy right now. Well, she has been out for awhile; I guess she is probably restless. Still…_ The doctor turned back to her patient with bedclothes in hand; she was still standing as she had been as if frozen in place by guilt, "Well…?" she demanded to the back of her visitor.

The Valkyrie turned slowly and cleared her throat, looking anywhere but at Lauren as she answered, "You know, there have been, uh, a lot of, you know…threats…and I…uh…was looking for that…bottleofwhiskeyyouhave." She ran her last words together as they had a mind of their own, irrespective of the fact that she did not give them permission to escape her mouth. Tamsin was bereft of guile and pretense, though she did try so diligently put on those airs at times. She rolled her eyes in disappointment at her failed attempt to lie to the doctor.

Lauren rolled her eyes as well, albeit in amusement and smiled. For such an old fae, the woman could be so much like an innocent child. "Go. To. Bed. Tamsin." She ordered concisely with her back turned as she returned to the task of making her own bed for the night.

"Huh, really? After only one date, you try to get me in bed, Lewis?" Tamsin quipped with her arms folded across her chest, lapsing into the more lurid aspects of her personality in an attempt to feel more like herself after her inadvertent honesty.

The doctor froze as she was bent over tucking a sheet over the couch cushions. That hit a little too close to referencing the fact that they had kissed that evening. _No, she kissed_ _ **me!**_ _What is she up to? Is she trying to cause a rift between me and Bo to get even?_ But before her head had snapped back around over her shoulder to look at the the Valkyrie in anger, the taller fae was already back-pedaling – babbling with eyes wide and arms unfolding into a conciliatory gesture to assure the doctor her jibe was not an attempt to seduce her away from her girlfriend.

"I mean…I just didn't…what are you doing here? Sleeping on a couch…so not you, you're better than that. And I know you wouldn't be caught dead in a place like Bo's hovel if she weren't your girlfriend." Tamsin explained awkardly and surpisingly, quite timidly.

Lauren's distressed expression melted into a gleeful smirk as she observed the nervously fidgeting blonde. She couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her clenched lips as the Valkyrie grew more and more agitated as the implication of her off-handed smart-assed comment synched with her memories of the events of the evening. Ever the healer, Dr. Lewis ignored said implication and put her at ease, "I am _tired_ , Tamsin. And I have slept in worse places. This place is like the Savoy, compared to my year in Afghanistan."

"Oh. I see. Good night, Dr. Lewis." She stated abruptly and matter-of-factly as she turned to leave.

But something in her tone caused the doctor to straighten up and turn to face her full on as she felt the indignation rising within her, "Wait, you don't believe me?" she asked, her voice rising in inflection despite her attempt to hide the emotions behind her accusation. _She's just going to take that as a fact unquestionably? I find that hard to believe! Most people grill me about where I was stationed and what it was like!_

Tamsin stopped cold in the doorway, but didn't turn as she hung her head and answered morosely, "I do believe you, Lauren. And you were right – we kinda do understand each other, now. It's just…a whole lot of shit started to make sense to me now." She turned her head to look at the outraged doctor as she offered with gentle eyes filled with understanding, "If you need me, you know where to find me." That said, she padded softly with her bare feet back to the examination room and her bed for the night.

Lauren stood stock still, frozen in place long after the Valkyrie had disappeared. _What just happened? What did she mean by that?_ she thought as a thousand possible scenarios ran through her mind. But it was late, she was exhausted, and there would be time to think and talk tomorrow. Tamsin would be there in the morning. She had promised, and Tamsin wouldn't lie to her. She knew it. The doctor finally roused herself out of her reverie and finished making her bed, turned the light off, dropped bodily onto the couch and into fitful dreams.

* * *

She was back, back in the coffee shop in Afghanistan. Red Beard was gruffly telling her to grab her gear and meet her on the pave hawk ramp. But it wasn't him; it was Tamsin, dressed in his clothing. She was on the helo, next thing she knew. Tamsin was ignoring her sickness, sitting with her feet dangling out of the doorway, legs against the wheel to stop them from being swept by the airstream. Then they were talking, honestly, about life and what was so good about it despite the horror around them while sitting in front of the campfire at the FOB. It was a confusing, disjointed dream. Lauren gave up trying to pull herself out of it and went along for the ride.

Tamsin was dressed in the cargo shorts and tank top Red Beard had worn the night he delicately attempted to enter a relationship with Lauren. And in her dream, Tamsin did the same – speaking the same words he had used, "I know I am speaking out of turn, and I know you deserve so much more – but do you think you could take a chance with someone like me?" The flickering flames lit up her green eyes, enhancing the emotion displayed in them.

"I do have a lot of affection for you. But honestly, I can't love you like that." Dream Lauren told Tamsin.

She smiled sadly, just as Red Beard had done. Turning away to hide the tears welling up and using stoking to fire as an excuse for it she answered, "Well, I would have hated myself forever if I didn't at least try." She stopped the pretense as the flames roared up revealing the glistening in her eyes the unshed tears caused for all to see. Staring into the blaze she continued "But I hope we can still be best battle buddies. Can I still have your back, as a friend?"

Lauren placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'd like that. Very much." She said warmly. Surely the dream would end there, but it didn't. The doctor moaned and jerked physically in her sleep as the scenario jumped to its inevitable, horrifying conclusion.

The boy. Tamsin shot him in the head to protect her. But it wasn't some misguided Afghan boy duped by radical extremists into throwing his life away by attacking a hospital clinic – it was Massimo. Bo had told her how she had stopped Tamsin from killing him to protect the Valkyrie's newly re-born innocence. But the Valkyrie had lived many lives, and was far from innocent. Massimo was an imminent lethal threat wrapped in a fragile human body. Lauren looked away in horror as the dream Red Beard grinned at her companions who were congratulating her marksmanship. When she did so, she caught a reflection of herself, and it shocked her enough to take pause, even in her dream. It wasn't her own visage she saw reflected from a window – it was Bo's.

 _No. This doesn't make any sense. Bo never went to war. Why am I dreaming I am Bo?_ The scene shifted and drew her out of her semi-lucid thoughts and right back into the moment. She was in the humvee, watching Tamsin scan out of the window. She was joking with her comrades, but stealing glances back at the doctor. Dream Lauren in Bo's body registered the painful look in Tamsin/Red Beard's eyes in the brief eye contact they shared for the first time. And there was something else, recognition of the revulsion she knew she was expressing at that moment. Lauren swallowed thickly in her dream, just now remembering something she had buried in her subconscious. The guilt, guilt she felt for hating someone who had sacrificed so much for her, and continued to do so without any hope of reward or return of affection. Surely Bo must feel that guilt. Or was she so used to people sacrificing themselves for her that she was now immune to feeling any empathy for those whose love she didn't return?

The dream had moved out of surreal and into reality enough to cause her to kick violently and cry aloud in a vain attempt to wake herself before the final scene she dreaded to witness. Despite her attempts, she was back in the ER at Kandahar, looking at herself in the reflection of a medicine cabinet and seeing Bo's expression full of dread and regret staring back at her in commiseration. The double doors burst open accompanied by shouts for her attention and she closed her eyes. She knew who it was, what was happening – and she didn't want to see it. The commotion faded away, and when she opened her eyes again, she was back in her apartment, kneeling next to the injured Tamsin, cradling her in her arms after the Valkyrie had saved her by killing Stacey and her entourage. She didn't know if her dream self was Bo now, or her own person – but either way it no longer mattered.

"Why, Tamsin? Why did you do this?" she whispered the question in her dream that she didn't get the chance to ask when it had actually happened.

Tamsin smiled as she answered, "It's what I do. I did it for the love of Bo, she's the only one I ever loved, and I don't know how to stop loving her." She placed one bloody hand on Lauren's cheek and with the other offered the doctor a package of cookies. With that, her breath hitched for a few times before it stopped entirely. Lauren screamed.

* * *

"Ssshhh…it's alright…shhh…I've got you. It's just a dream…come on now…it's going to be Ok…shhh" Those were the sounds Lauren heard when she finally broke from her night terror and into conscious wakefulness with a throat sore from shouting and the realization that she was sitting upright and held tightly in the embrace of someone. Tamsin was rocking her gently and soothing her with soft words of reassurance as she slowly rubbed her back with one hand.

"Tt…Tamsin? What are you doing here?" the doctor barely managed to croak out in shock. _Oh my God, what was I yelling in my dream? Did I call her name? This is so embarrassing!_

The Valkyrie stopped her comforting ministrations and pulled back quickly, evidently embarrassed by her own caring gesture. She cleared her throat, taken aback by the doctor's accusing tone and explained sorrowfully, "Sorry, I…uh, heard you yelling….I thought someone might have broken in." She stood up with her head hung low and one hand out as if to push the doctor away, Lauren's arms dropping limply from their own embrace on her body the doctor wasn't even aware had occurred. "Sorry, and if you're alright now, I'll just go back to bed now." She hesitated for a moment before adding with a snarky tone more in line with her character, "You really need to think about beefing up the security here. The body count here is getting out of hand."

"No, please…don't go!" Lauren blurted out, surprising herself. But when the Valkyrie lifted her eyes to meet hers in the dim light, asking silently for an explanation – words failed the normally well spoken doctor. "I…Bo…and you..and everything…oh, Tamsin…" she broken down into incoherent sobs, tears falling and snot sputtering out of her nose as a result of her efforts to control her breakdown. _Shit! I am one hot mess! I can't do this in front of Tamsin, of all people!_

But Tamsin didn't mock her as she thought she might in this moment of weakness. Instead, she lunged for the box of tissues on Lauren's desk and gently held one to the doctor's face as she sat on the bed next to her. Dr. Lewis sobbed into the Valkyrie's shoulder after she blew her nose a few times, and when she gained some composure except for her hitching breathing, she tried to extricate herself from the taller blonde's embrace. "I'm…sorry…about you…and Bo…and…you can go now…I..." The implied meaning of her dream made her feel sorry for the Valkyrie and ashamed of her own suspicions of the taller blonde's ulterior motives for saving her life and getting closer to her.

The Valkyrie was having none of her attempts at dismissal, and turned her around pulling her closer, both arms around her abdomen as she laid them both down on the crowded couch, "Ssshhh…No, don't be sorry. You don't have to say anything. You're tired. Just lie down and get some sleep. I'm here. You don't have to explain anything. I understand." The Valkyrie cooed as they settled down to sleep. Once the doctor had relaxed into her embrace she added a whispered promise into Lauren's hair, "I won't let anyone hurt you, Lauren." The honesty and conviction in her voice caused the doctor to suck in a breath as her heart skipped a beat.

Lauren's breathing eventually evened out as she was spooned and comforted by the woman who had most reason in the world to hate her just as she had comforted the wounded Valkyrie earlier. Lauren didn't know what to say, or even if she should say anything at all. _Gods, does she love so deeply that she would go to such lengths to protect me, her rival in love? Bo did bring Nadia back, but would her devotion stretch this far? Would my love for Bo? And I was never so cold to Bo as she was to Tamsin. But I was cold to Red Beard, and he loved me regardless of the fact that I reviled him._ Dr. Lewis fell into a thankfully dreamless sleep contemplating the complicated nature of love and its ramifications, as she was held from behind by the lightly snoring Valkyrie. They shared a bond no one else in their group did and it was mutually understood - both of them loved Bo. But right now, Bo was off doing who knows what while they were here for each other, offering each other comfort without having to say a word. And it was a wonderfully satisfying feeling.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Lost Girl is nearly over! Hope you guys enjoy this. I'll try to update sooner next time.**

Chapter 5: Secrets are Lies of Omission

Knocking. Knocking, and a voice calling her name slowly drew Dr. Lewis into a semi-lucid state, yet not into fully conscious wakefulness. "Bo?" she mumbled, "Is that you?"

The melodic laughter she heard next was unmistakably that of her beloved. She cracked open her bleary eyes a fraction, and was greeted by the sleep-blurred sight of her girlfriend's beautifully beaming face, as she walked into the office towards her. "Of course, it's me! Who else do you wake up to in the morning?!"

"Tamsin?" Lauren muttered as she slowly regained her senses, and her situational awareness was following quickly taking the lead. Tamsin had fallen asleep. With her. And now Bo was here. With her. And – she shot upright, eyes wide open now and desperately trying to find a way to explain the situation to her lover. She ran a hand through her hair nervously and held the other out in a conciliatory gesture, "Bo…I can explain…T-" she looked behind her only to find that she was alone on the couch.

Again, Bo laughed, but her laughter was tinged with bitterness this time. Lauren snapped her attention back to her girlfriend as she apparently misunderstood the implications of what she had said, "Tamsin? Yea, I already know all about that. Trick said she tangled with some of her sisters, and barely made it out alive. Her smart-ass mouth was bound to get her into real trouble sooner or later. Who didn't see that coming?"she rolled her eyes, in a very Tamsin-like manner. Her expression grew more smolderingly lustful as she dismissed the doctor's distress, "Enough about her already…"and closed the distance between them sitting down on the couch next to the doctor. "I've missed you, so much!" she husked, holding Lauren's face gently between both her hands before leaning in and kissing her tenderly. The brunette was more than eager to progress beyond kissing, and she slid one hand behind Lauren's head to deepen the kiss while the other sought support on the couch surface behind them in order to lay them both down with a satisfied moan.

Lauren was quietly relieved to discover that the Valkyrie had evidently slipped away sometime in the early morning hours, but a bit peeved by the succubus' lack of concern over the well-being of their mutual friend. The blonde gently yet firmly pushed back against her lover to stop her. She furrowed her eyebrows as her eyes searched Bo's confused face to try and grasp just how much Bo knew about what had happened, and just what the succubus was doing since she had returned. Not to mention how she had fared on her mission to Tartarus; they should discuss these issues. _And oh God, I need a shower – Stat!_ "Bo, wait. We should talk. Tamsin…well, yes she did…tangle, with some Valkyrie." Lauren's hands on her lover's shoulders relaxed as the look of confusion and disappointment on the brunette's face blossomed into a grin that reached her eyes.

"OK, glad we got that out of the way, now where were we…" she tilted her head and leaned in again recapture her lips. Lauren turned her head slightly and stopped her again.

"But Bo, there's more to it-"

"Somebody call my name?" a third party interrupted.

The two lovers stopped their war of wills and turned to face the intruder, both exclaiming "Tamsin!" Bo hissed out the name as if it were a curse, while Lauren blurted it out in surprise.

The Valkyrie in question had strolled up unnoticed and was leaning against the doorway eating a candy bar Lauren was certain was pilfered from her own desk drawer. Her attire, however, was a bit more inexplicable. Well, at least her shirt was. She had on the same scrub pants albeit cut off well above the knees and now sported a red tank top at least two sizes too small that revealed her toned lower abdominal muscles and hip bones. Aware that she was staring at the Valkyrie's body, Lauren looked guiltily at Bo, who herself was taking in the sight before her in a less than platonic manner. Finally realizing what she was doing, the succubus turned to her girlfriend with an apologetic look, before casting her eyes down to her lap.

For her part, the Valkyrie chewed her treat in silence with a bemused look on her face, acknowledging the awkwardness of the situation only with a slightly raised eyebrow as she watched the scene unfold before her. She seemed aware yet ambivalent to the fact that she had interrupted two lovers about to express their mutual affection in the most intimate, and physical manner. Deciding she would have to be the one to break the ice, she inquired, "Well…?"

"Tamsin! So, I see your past has finally caught up to you!" the succubus spat out as she gave up and took her sexual frustration out on her scorned lover. She jumped off the couch and strode antagonistically over to the woman observing them in the doorway. She crossed her arms and waited for a reply with an expression that dared the other woman to deny her assertions.

"Hhhmmmhhh" Tamsin replied with a rising inflection and shrugged as she took another bite of her candy bar and Bo grew increasingly angrier at her nonchalant attitude. The Valkyrie made no attempt to explain herself and circumstances or acknowledge the irritation of her accuser. Lauren attempted to explain for her when her rescuer refused to defend herself. _Tamsin seems hell-bent on self-destruction! I should stop this from escalating out of control!_ The doctor thought to herself. "Bo, Stacey-" As soon as the succubus' eyes and attention reverted back to her, Lauren saw the Valkyrie's eyes grow wide as she briefly and slowly shook her head 'no' to stop her explanation of what had occurred as her own eyes flitted back and forth between her patient and her girlfriend. "…she uh…" Tamsin gave her an intense glare. "…came looking for Tamsin." The Valkyrie nodded affirmatively almost imperceptivity, "For payback…for what happened with Kenzi…or something." Lauren concluded lamely, but apparently satisfying Bo's curiosity, judging by her gleeful expression at hearing the false explanation of the blonde fae's injuries. The doctor, however, was confused as to why the Valkyrie didn't want Bo to know she had saved her. The Valkyrie's expression relaxed and she assumed her earlier lackadaisical posture before Bo turned back to face her.

"Well, be that as it may - you have a knack for disappearing when I need you and showing up when you are not wanted!" the succubus accused.

Not flinching at all under the succubus' withering gaze, Tamsin finished chewing the last bite of her candy bar and swallowed, all the while regarding the angry woman with an innocent expression. After a few beats, she lifted her eyes to the ceiling and finally answered, "Weeelllll, I prefer to think of it as more of a gift!" With that she finally was moving, reaching out and grabbing one of Bo's hands, pressing the empty candy wrapper into it with both of hers. The brunette was too shocked by the lightning quick movement to react, and merely stared in shock as the Valkyrie leaned in and smirked with a scrunch of her nose, "You're welcome!" before just as quickly turning and strutting away down the hall in her bare feet.

As Bo huffed out a laugh in disbelief at the arrogance of their companion, Lauren took the opportunity to grab a change of clothes and head for the showers, giving her girlfriend a peck on the cheek and promise to talk with her when she was done. There was so much to do and talk about, surely their lovemaking could wait. And surely even Bo could understand that.

* * *

Lauren stood under the hot water of the shower in blissful relaxation, head tilted back towards the powerful stream of steaming water as she let it wash away not only the sweat of the previous day, but her worries. _Gods, I could stay in here all day! Maybe I should just go home and sit in the bath until I wrinkle up like a prune!_ Despite willfully trying to push away her troubling thoughts if only for a few minutes, Lauren was struck with a sudden epiphany – Bo was trying not to talk with her about her father and his involvement in their lives while just the night before Tamsin was trying to discuss the same issue with her. And she had rebuffed her attempts, thinking her efforts an attempt to drive a wedge between herself and Bo driven by her jealousy. And when Lauren attempted to tell her girlfriend Tamsin had saved her from certain death by a Valkyrie execution squad, the Valkyrie stopped her. _She must have had a good reason to stop me from Telling Bo she saved me. But what could it be?_ "Shit!" Lauren wiped the water from her face and turned the taps off. Leaning her head against the wall, she puzzled through a way to get the three of them to talk together about the possible danger Hades posed, even though Bo seemed fully devoted to "Team Daddy." The doctor, however, still held serious reservations about trusting the ruler of Tartarus. And the fact that Tamsin seemed to share her concerns and had tried to engage her in conversation on the subject bothered her more than she felt it should have considering the Valkyrie was in love with her girlfriend. Pushing off the wall with a clenched fist, Lauren left the shower determined to hash out the Hades question once and for all - with her girlfriend and with the Valkyrie.

* * *

While she was getting dressed, Dr. Lewis heard raised voices drifting into her private bathroom from the exam rooms in the back of the clinic. _Bo!_ She hurried, knowing her succubus girlfriend had confronted the Valkyrie for her earlier behavior, either out of anger or jealousy – or both. _Why didn't Tamsin let me tell her how she saved me? Bo would have been grateful and more understanding towards her!_ By the time she had gotten herself decent and made her way to the patient's room she had come to think of as Tamsin's, the Valkyrie was gone and her girlfriend sat alone and brooding on the lone chair in the room. Lauren stood in the doorway, quietly taking in the scene and her own beloved sitting in a pout with legs crossed and head hung down, staring at her hands clasped together on her lap.

Lauren didn't even need to ask what happened, she already knew. The Valkyrie had left, despite her promise to stay, despite the emotional connection they had forged as fellow warriors, despite the shared secrets; the blonde fae had given in to her self-protective instincts and fled. And the doctor knew why – the morose brunette she loved now sitting in apparently upset about something she had done. The doctor watched her silently, one hand on the door jamb as the succubus seemed oblivious to her presence. "Bo?" the succubus looked at her abruptly, her face showing the complexity of her emotions as she chewed her bottom lip and tried to smile unsuccessfully. Dr. Lewis read everything she needed to know about what had happened between the two fae in her girlfriend's eyes. The guilt, anger, and sorrow she recognized spoke to her own knowledge of the history and personalities of the pair and informed her of a friendship and partnership between two 'roommates' that was now shredded beyond repair. When she received no verbal response to her own unasked questions, she let her concern known in no uncertain terms, "Bo, where's Tamsin?" she asked softly as she slowly approached her girlfriend and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Bo looked at her grimly, her mouth drawn tightly into a thin line hearing Tamsin's name spilling from her girlfriend's lips as she looked up and saw the concern in Lauren's face. "Who knows? Valhalla, Tartarus, some dark dive bar, or more likely – under some Hydra she picked up off the street!" As she spoke, she threw her hands up and gestured vaguely.

Registering the vitriol behind the succubus' words, yet still concerned for the well-being of her patient and friend, Lauren knelt down in front of Bo, grasping both her hands. She needed to tread lightly, the succubus was angry and Tamsin had most certainly spooled her up with her snarky attitude and snide comments. Trying to be the smooth things over, Lauren began earnestly, "Bo, listen, she's been through a lot lately. She may still be suffering from her injuries, and she promised not to leave –"

"Since when do you believe _anything_ she says? She just does whatever she wants, without a care in the world!" Bo jumped from the chair, pulling her hands from Laurens grasp and crossing her arms over her chest.

 _Classic defensive body language,_ the doctor analytically thought to herself, _and just a little bit of the pot calling the kettle black!_ Dr. Lewis stood to look her lover in the eyes sternly. She didn't want to escalate things into a full-blown argument over the Valkyrie, but she was concerned about her girlfriend's cold attitude of late. She could guess the reason for it – the succubus' father's influence. "She's never lied to me." Lauren informed her gently, "And I ne-"

"Oh, but _**I**_ have?! It that what you are saying?" the brunette was seething, her anger now directed at the doctor.

Lauren held her hands out in a consolatory gesture, "Bo, no of course not! She's my patient…" She paused, reading the rage building in the face of the woman she loved. Bo's eyes were narrowing as her lips pulled tight over her clenched teeth. _She is beyond reasoning with at this point. Something is going on, but she isn't going to discuss it rationally right now,_ Lauren reasoned. She smiled sadly and grasped her girlfriend's shoulders, pulling her in to peck her on the cheek. When she drew back and looked her in the eyes, the succubus' expression softened somewhat, and her eyes looked regretful, "I didn't mean anything by that. And you're right; Tamsin can be flighty, immature and irresponsible. Why don't we meet up for lunch? I have other patients to see right now," she drew her in close again as Bo's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close so their foreheads where touching, "…but I do have time for a quick snack, if you're hungry!" she husked out, her eyes smoldering as she leaned into the capture the lips now smiling in appreciation of her attentions.

Her amorous gesture elicited a reflexive grin and unexpected response the succubus regretted immediately "No, I'm not hungry." The succubus' exuberant expression disappeared as her face reset into neutral territory hoping she didn't give too much information. Lauren halted her advance, as Bo tried to explain "I just wanted…to spend some time with you."

But Lauren's overly analytical nature immediately recognized the implications of what her girlfriend had said without her explicitly explaining. Bo had been gone for days, and even if she hadn't fought with anyone or been injured – as a succubus she still would have been ravenous and in need of sex and a good feed had she abstained. "Oh, alright then." If she didn't need to feed, and wouldn't talk about the important developments in their lives, the doctor had other issues more pressing at the moment than appeasing Bo. Lauren pulled away and picked up Tamsin's chart reverting to her professional persona, "Well, since Tamsin's not here anymore I'll have to file these away and…"

"Lauren!" Bo interjected, and the doctor paused in the doorway and looked back with a neutral expression. Aware of the elephant in the room, but not willing to mention it once she had Lauren's attention once again the succubus opened and closed her mouth in a futile attempt explain herself. But there was nothing she could say that hadn't been said already and nstead, she stared at her girlfriend with an apologetic look and fidgeted with the hem of her close-fitting shirt.

"It's alright, Bo." The blonde smiled back with her lop-sided grin, although her eyes were sad. "I understand – we've been through this before. But you don't need me right now, and other people do. Call me later, and we'll meet up."

The succubus drew her lips into a tight grim smile and nodded. She left the room, pausing to kiss her girlfriend briefly yet passionately and promised to call in the afternoon.

Once she was alone, Lauren sighed to herself and dropped her head. Things between her and Bo were always complicated, but now with Hades' meddling the situation was off the charts Alice in Wonderland crazy. As soon as she stuffed her hands in the pockets of her lab coat, her phone began vibrating. It was Trick, again. Looking at it curiously, she wondered if he was looking for Bo again and realized she had no idea where her girlfriend or the Lord of Tartarus were at the moment. "Yes Trick, what can I do for you?"

"Lauren, thank God! Please come down to the Dal! Tamsin is here in a...state, and she says the only one she will talk to about it is you!"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry took so long, and if you are waiting for Dawning sequel – working that pretty hard. Just not happy with structure of the first few chapters right now but it's outlined as far as plot.**

 **Just to be clear – this is a CopDoc story, but I'm not trying to crucify any other characters to get there. I'm not a hardcore shipper, but I thought it was cute the way Tam & Lauren bonded while Bo continued to run off with Dyson.**

Chapter 6: You'll Figure it Out

"Lauren, thank God! Please come down to the Dal! Tamsin is here in…a state, and she says the only one she will talk to about it is you!" Trick's voice implored her through the phone.

The doctor was taken aback by the sudden call for help, and confused as to what the keeper of the way station could possibly mean by "in a state" until the memory of how sullen Bo was after her shouting match with the Valkyrie. She still had no concise answer as to what had transpired between them; it seemed like everything that would have set the Valkyrie off had been said already when Bo made public her tearful breakdown and humiliated her in front of all of their friends. What else could embarrass a Valkyrie more than that? The surprise and confusion effectively stopped her from giving even the simplest verbal response as she held the phone to her ear with mouth frozen open, waiting for the gridlock at the crossroads of logic and emotion in her brain to clear and allow her to take control of her vocal cords.

"Lauren, are you there?" Trick's voice prodded her urgently from the phone's speaker.

A simple question, requiring only the simplest of answers cleared her mind somewhat as she shook her head. "Yes, sorry. What were you saying?"

"Tamsin, she is here - at the Dal looking like she just rolled out of bed. She doesn't even have shoes on! She's got a scar on her chest and won't explain why the Valkyrie attacked her. When I offered to have Mark drive her to the clubhouse, she threw a fit and insisted I call you instead." Trick calmly explained.

The doctor sighed into the phone. _All this drama! I have so much work to do; I don't have time to babysit a pouting Valkyrie!_ "Trick, I can't just leave my patients and drive her home..." _wait, she doesn't have a home…_

"She flew here, Lauren. Vex found her wondering the parking lot with her wings still out. I can't let her risk exposing the fae again…it's a death sentence, you know that. She wants her truck, and I told her I don't know where it is, or how she lost it." Trick explained.

Lauren's analytical mind began to construct a basic framework of what had happened – Tamsin had agreed to stay close, at least for the time being. Bo had already publicly outed her vulnerability, confession of love, and subsequent emotional breakdown over being rejected. They had all witnessed her puppy love behavior, which she had shed immediately afterwards and seemed on track to be her more normal cynical self. Then she had another conversation with the Succubus that resulted in another strong reaction, and even more dangerously reckless and suicidal behavior. It had to be something new added to the equation.

"Tell Mark to bring her here, I have her truck keys. And tell her Bo isn't here anymore." She added the last for good measure, knowing the blonde fae wouldn't come back willingly if the Succubus was still in the clinic.

"No. Tell her yourself – she's already blaming me for this whole mess." the diminutive barkeeper told her. Before she could ask why, the Valkyrie was on the phone.

"I need my truck, Lauren. Trick says you have it." she said desperately.

She was running – of course she was. The enemy had dropped a bomb; there was no way to counter attack in that moment. There was no nobility in dying by having your body blown to bits helplessly. When the rockets and mortars fell, you took shelter. That's what you did. You ran. Even the boldest and bravest. But you had to know where the nearest shelter was in order to live to fight another day or you could die in the attempt. At the very least you would look foolish, darting about like a frightened rabbit. You had to know the battlefield; you had to know where it was safe. "Get back here, Tamsin. She's gone. And I have your truck. Let Mark drive you here." She gave her orders and hung up. It wasn't a discussion; it was directions to temporary sanctuary.

Dr. Lewis sighed and got back to her work. Her phone didn't ring again and that was a good sign. By the time Mark entered her clinic with the fuming Valkyrie, she had nearly forgotten them. She excused herself and pulled the Valkyrie into her office for a private discussion. Reprimand should be done in private, so she learned from her military comrades. Tamsin was already rolling her eyes when she whirled around to face her after she shut the door, "So what was that all about? A death wish? Over a piece of shit truck?"

"No. Ask your girlfriend if you want to know. Trust me, though – you really don't want to know. Seems I've outlived my usefulness in her grand schemes." She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Because you didn't go to Tartarus with her?" Lauren asked quizzically. Bo was very upset about that, and it did end up with unnecessarily cruelty towards the heartbroken Valkyrie in her opinion.

"Partially…" she laughed bitterly, "I don't mind being used as a weapon, a soldier, or a guardian. But there are some things my vanity will _not_ stand. I'm such a fucking idiot…" she held her forehead with a hand for a few beats, then dropped it to continue, "You're smart, Lewis. You'll figure it out."

There was no getting through to her now, and it didn't matter anyways. She was here, she was safe, and Lauren was determined she would keep her protected from herself most of all. "Oh, I will." She pulled a key out of her desk drawer and handed it to the tall blonde fae, "Here, go stay at my apartment. I'm staying at Bo's tonight. You can sleep on the couch; there are sheets and blankets in the upstairs hall closet. I know you don't have anywhere else to go, and I need to check up on you later. We need your help, Tamsin, and you are still my patient - even if you won't stay put long enough to heal. Take whatever you want, just clean up after yourself. I'm your doctor, not your maid. Tomorrow I'll give you your truck keys, and we can talk about what you plan on doing next."

Tamsin stared at the key in her hand for a moment. She had been Bo's roommate, and in the blink of an eye, she was Lauren's now. She wouldn't make the same mistake again – roommates don't sleep in the same bed together. They don't have sex with each other. They don't love each other – not in the way she wanted Bo to love her. Lauren watched her carefully and read every thought as it flickered across her expressive face. She had laid out their boundaries; there was no mistaking them. It wasn't love, it wasn't sex, it was concern for a friend who was expected to pull her own weight. The doctor had chided her, yet shown her honesty and understanding in a way that touched to her very essence. She wanted to make a joke about U-hauling after their first date, but the sorrow within her and knowledge she didn't even have enough belongings to fill a decent sized suitcase kept her from voicing it. The Valkyrie simply nodded and hung her head in shame. She had fallen so very far, and wondered if sleeping on her former lover's couch was the rock bottom or if there was even more humiliation in store for her when she did reach the end. The one thing she was sure of was being around Bo would send her ever further down the rabbit hole of self-loathing, if this morning was typical of what their encounters would be like in the future.

Lauren reached out a hand and touched her shoulder, "You can't sleep in your truck, Tamsin. It doesn't even have a roof. Go get some rest; you deserve it, for all that you've done for me. Please." Her glistening light brown eyes searched out the Valkyrie's under the cascade of blonde hair that hid them; not giving up until they met and she could read what was going on behind those green eyes. There was nothing but dishonor and the primal instinct to run as far from its source as she possibly could. "No matter what Bo says or how she feels, I don't want to lose you as a friend and ally"

Tamsin looked away at a spot on the wall and cleared her throat, "Uh…hum…sure, Lauren. It's probably a good idea to keep me around until I take out Freya. She'll send more Valkyrie for you sooner or later."

 _Whatever you have to tell yourself, Tamsin. I'm just happy you are trying to salvage what is left of your pride and confidence, because if you don't - you will be lost forever._ Lauren gave her a wry smile, and opened the door. The doctor asked the shifter to take Tamsin to her apartment for the time being, since that was where her truck was. He didn't need to know she invited the Valkyrie to spend the night; it wasn't any of his business anyway. He wouldn't understand.

Once they were gone, she got back to her work. There was no time to deal with emotions now, this was war – right here in their own backyard. Tamsin was a valuable soldier who needed patching up before she would be any use to them on the battlefield. But her most critical wounds were not physical; she had to treat them herself with time and distance. Bo was constantly reopening those wounds whenever the Valkyrie snapped back at her like an injured animal trying to hide her handicap from a predator or a pack mate who might kill them at any sign of weakness. Just like them, the people she served with in the warzone – never showing pain. Never breaking down. Even when they had every reason to, and probably should have for their own mental health. Lauren understood – she had been to war. Bo didn't get it; she couldn't see the subtext.

And so she compartmentalized and prioritized – there were people in her clinic that needed her immediate and undivided attention. She gave it to them happily and without guilt over leaving her other problems on the back burner. They were no longer in danger of boiling over at the moment, but they were still simmering. Her girlfriend's father, Hades, was definitely going to need the most of their efforts. Tamsin's help would be an asset if only she could be talked back from the edge.

Bo had texted she wouldn't be able to meet her at noon, and she was somewhat let down. She was busy on a mission with Dyson and couldn't leave. After eating a quiet lunch in her office and diving back into her work, Bo called her before she got the chance to touch base with her as she had promised. "Hey, Lauren! Is Tamsin there? Mark said he took her back to your place so she could get her truck keys."

"Uh…no…I'm still at the clinic, and I'm not really sure where she is…" It wasn't a lie. It dawned on her now that the Valkyrie may have done a runner after all. The keys to the Valkyrie's truck were on her work desk in plain sight, and running was so tempting to anyone in her situation. Hell, she ran away herself a time or two and wanted to many times during her servitude to the fae. Lauren didn't blame her if she did run; when fight or flight instinct kicked in fighting wasn't an option if you had nothing left worth the risk. "She should be resting now, Bo. She hasn't healed yet from her fight with the Valkyrie."

"Can you call her – she's not answering my calls or messages. Please, Lauren! Kenzi is here, and we need her help. Dyson is off the grid tonight." The Succubus pleaded into the phone.

"Kenzi! Wait…" Dr. Lewis rolled her eyes and groaned. The physician in her was deeply offended, "Bo…she is in no condition to heal you right now!"

"No, no! It's not that…I need her to help with some investigative matters. She still has connections. We need her help to send back Zeus and Hera." The Succubus stated urgently. And it was important to stop them, no matter the changing interpersonal relationship dynamics within their family.

Lauren couldn't argue against that, and agreed to contact the Valkyrie and convince her to meet them at the Dal. It took two phone calls for her to get an answer, and from the sound of her voice it seems she had awoken the blonde fae from a deep slumber. Nevertheless, she groggily grunted her consent and went along with the plan.

Dr. Lewis was stumped as to what her girlfriend was planning, and she still had no idea what had happened in Tartarus. They were supposed to talk about that this afternoon, but now Bo was off on a new adventure that required Tamsin. The doctor knew that the Valkyrie had only agreed to go along with it because she wanted to see Kenzi again. The pair were very close, and the Russian was probably the only friend the heartbroken blonde had left right now. _No, that's not true_ , Lauren thought, _we're friends…sort of. I guess sort of friends is better than nothing when you are unemployed, broke and homeless. Or you have the Mistress of Valhalla sending hit squads after you._

Later on, she joined Bo and Kenzi to help send Zeus back to Tartarus using her conduit powers and a stolen painting the Succubus lifted from a museum Tamsin's research had identified as it's home. But the Valkyrie was nowhere to be seen, and no one mentioned her absence. Since Bo wanted time alone with her bestie, Lauren returned to her apartment despite what she had told her houseguest. But she wasn't there by the time she returned home that evening, either. The clumsily folded blankets on the couch and absent truck keys testified that she had been there at some point during the day, and Lauren figured she was probably drinking off more bad feels from having to be around Bo again. She sighed and got ready for bed. _So much for my bodyguard…shit – I should tell Bo about the attack now that Zeus is gone._

But in the morning when she came downstairs in her robe for some coffee, the Valkyrie was back – passed out and drooling onto her pillow on the couch. The doctor suppressed a giggle; she looked so innocent when she was sleeping. And so began their routine for the next few days – Tamsin would disappear before Lauren got home in the evening and be asleep on the couch in the mornings. Dr. Lewis puzzled over what the Valkyrie was up to and where she went as no one else in the family had seen her after Bo had been salty to her in Kenzi's presence at the Dal. When Lauren was told of the incident, the strange behavior made sense to her if not the others. "Isn't it obvious, Bo? She thinks you don't want her to be around your friends anymore."

They were alone at the clubhouse, thinking they had a respite from the excitement now that Zeus was gone and Hades had agreed to be locked up at the clinic. The trip to Tartarus had been a bust, a ruse to lure her there for more mischief on his part just as the Valkyrie had suspected. For exactly what purpose, they didn't know for sure. But Lauren felt it must have been Freya's go ahead to send her killer squad since they must have assumed Tamsin would have gone with Bo. "That's ridiculous! You are all her friends, too!" the Succubus denied, taking a drink of her wine and setting on the coffee table.

"Are we? Or do we all just follow your lead?" she countered, sincerely considering the validity of the statement. _That night she brought Hera to the clinic…she didn't want to be alone._

"Fine! I'll talk to her. But I don't think she even knows what love is! Things just got so…complicated. I can't help it if I have to…" she trailed off when Lauren rolled her eyes.

 _Great, she's trotting out 'The Succubus Defense' again! There is a colony full of hot fae, and she rolls around with the one that everyone knows is crushing on her. And screw you, Dyson, for setting them both up like that! If you were worried about Bo – you should have kept her company! Well, I guess it all worked out for you; Tamsin had to help her through her grieve while you banged Bo on the side. I could slap your furry face for being so inconsiderate…_ "No…just…just let her find her feet, Ok? She needs her space right now." Lauren smiled.

"We need her, Lauren. We can't let her just run off." The Succubus stated.

"That's not our decision to make, Bo. And maybe that's not what's best for her, either. You don't want her – let her go. Maybe she will stick around." The doctor laid a hand on the brunette's arm. There was nothing more demoralizing than being pressed into fighting for a cause you didn't believe in anymore. Surely her girlfriend could understand that. But Lauren didn't get a chance to find out if her words had moved her since a simple touch ignited the Succubus' lust and the quickly ended up in bed together, the Valkyrie far from their thoughts. The doctor's own conduit powers pulled the Succubus' insatiable desire and made it her own.

The early morning sunlight streaming through the windows woke her, and that was a bad thing. She should have been up before the sun if she wanted to make it to work on time. Hastily gathering her clothes, she kissed her girlfriend briefly and dressed quickly. When she got home, she finally caught the Valkyrie awake. Apparently, she had a late night as well and was surprised to see the doctor appear in the bathroom door. As she was washing her hands, she told her, "Oh, hey. I thought you were already at work. I'm done here, all yours."

"Tamsin, what happened to your hands?" Dr. Lewis had noticed the blood in the sink and scraped knuckles on the Valkyrie.

"Ahh, it's nothing. Shit happens. I've got a job now, so I can earn some money. I'm sure you don't want me sleeping on your couch forever." She shrugged it off as she rinsed out the sink and went back downstairs.

Although she wanted to discuss this mysterious job, Lauren let it go for the moment – she was already late for work. To her surprise, when she came back downstairs, Tamsin was still awake and lounging under the blankets on the couch as she scrolled through her tablet. "Right, I'm off to work. Any special plans for today?" the doctor asked while pulling on her jacket, attempting to pry information with an innocuous question.

The Valkyrie didn't even look up as she replied. "Nooooo…not really. Just gonna Netflix and chill."

Lauren suppressed a giggle, "No! I mean as far as your new job, and I think you don't understand what that euphuism means, Tamsin!"

This time she did look up, with a lopsided mock apologetic expression, "Oh, I know what it means. I just thought it sounded less embarrassing than 'internet porn and masturbate.'"

"I…yes. Yes it does." Dr. Lewis' face flushed crimson red instantly. The Valkyrie knew how to get out of talking about subjects she didn't want to discuss. Lauren left hurriedly without another word.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Still working the other story, should be posting soon. Thanks for reading/reviewing following faving and such.**

Chapter 7: I Figured it Out

When everything goes blows up in your face, it can happen suddenly or by one small event followed quickly by another. A coincidence added to a miscalculation multiplied by an unpredictable event can equal disaster. And when it went sideways for Lauren, it happened by means of the latter. Evony was dying as a result of a karmic curse that affected her now that she was human, and the doctor could no longer risk making her fae or it would kill her even more quickly. Lauren vowed to keep working to save her, but the former Morrigan left the clinic in tears springing from a well of grief and anger vowing payback for both of them, in kind.

"Well, that could have gone better." Bo commented with a frown, still gazing at the door the distraught woman had just run through. She turned to face her girlfriend, "So, you don't think Tamsin is working for _her_ , do you? Because that could be a problem." The Succubus folded her arms over her chest and glared at Dr. Lewis.

Lauren was taken aback, frightened at the prospect for a moment. Tamsin could be ruthless and had reason to seek vengeance, but somehow she couldn't find it in herself to believe the Valkyrie would betray their trust. "I…er…I don't know, Bo. She didn't say. But I doubt she would go back to Evony after-"

"She hates me, Lauren. What better way to get back at me than through you?" the brunette interrupted.

The image of the bloody Valkyrie with a knife protruding from her chest flashed through Lauren's mind. _She had her opportunity, and all she had to do was sit back and watch it happen…_ She swallowed hard and answered, "She wouldn't do that. She loves you, whether you believe it or not – and even though she knows you don't return that love."

Bo looked at her grimly, "I wish I shared your confidence."

"Fine. Let's just ask her, shall we?" To break the stalemate so they could move on from there, Lauren called the Valkyrie in question and made up a medical excuse to lure her to the clinic. To her surprise, Tamsin agreed immediately and promised to be there shortly. They were going to clear the air between them all so they could work together against their common enemies. It could get ugly quickly, but Lauren felt confident in her ability as a mediator to resolve the issue between the pair and help them come to an understanding and remain friends. Besides, now that she had established trust with Tamsin as well as Bo – she felt sure they would listen to her, and each other.

While they were waiting, they chatted in the lab as Lauren tried to get back to her research. Bo occasionally asked questions and became even more confused by her answers resulting in further questioning. It soon devolved, as it always did, into a make out session after the Succubus claimed her 'doctor talk' had aroused her.

A commotion in another room disturbed them, and Bo broke away to investigate with Lauren trailing close behind. Hera was gone, and a nurse was laid out motionless on the floor from an apparent attack. _The war has come home…only this time I have to choose a side._ The blonde doctor thought as she rushed to the woman's aide. Bo, however, took off after the Ancient fae. Hera was the weakest of the Ancient fae she inadvertently set loose on the earth, and she felt confident she could stop him. He couldn't have gotten far, and probably couldn't outrun her if he had only just woken from his coma. After Lauren checked the unconscious woman's vital signs, she made her as comfortable as possible before heading to the front of the clinic. She had a feeling there would be more casualties before he made good his escape. She was right, of course.

Finding no one else inside had been injured, she went outside and ran after Bo down the sidewalk. She caught up to her just outside the alley on the corner of the block, confronting Hera who was taunting her. "Do you seriously think you can stop me?" he laughed as the Succubus held him by one arm to keep him from taking off. He released a swarm of insects from his mouth and took a few steps back to put some distance between himself and the Succubus.

Once the swarm dissipated she didn't get a chance to even think of an answer as she was struck once again by lightning – this time from the sky. Dr. Lewis stopped dead in her tracks just a few feet behind her girlfriend. She was stunned by the blinding flash of light and residual electrical shock that permeated the air around the termination of the bolt – which was Bo's chest. The ringing in her ears kept her from hearing the shouts of Zeus and Hera once her vision cleared enough to see what was going on. As the temporary tinnitus grew less intense and Zee was shoving Hera, still clad in only a hospital gown, into a waiting car she heard her scolding her 'wife,' "You IDIOT! We can't kill her! She belongs to HIM! Shit – we are _screwed_ now!"

Lauren didn't see the car speed away as she turned her eyes towards the Succubus, slumped on the ground and clutching her neck, not her chest as she had expected. A bloody scalpel was on the ground next to her and blood was surging between the fingers of the hand trying futilely to stop it. "BO!" The blonde fell to her knees, ignoring her own pain and the cold air as she took off her lab coat to use it to staunch the bleeding. She pulled away Bo's hand and pressed the white cloth against the deep cut to her carotid artery. There was no time to get her into surgery or find a suitably strong fae for her to feed off of; she would have to heal herself using Lauren's chi. Her mortally injured girlfriend was trying to say something; or she was saying something too softly to register above the ringing in Lauren's ears – but the slight shaking of her head and frightened look in her glazed eyes said everything she was trying to convey. As a conduit, her girlfriend could pull powers and energy but not produce enough of her own to heal the Succubus.

And the blonde scientist and physician was painfully aware of that fact. Nevertheless, she tried and crashed her lips against the Succubus' knowing full well the Succubus couldn't resist feeding in her condition. Bo did just as her instincts demanded, and immediately began pulling the life force from her girlfriend even as her mind screamed out in protest.

Lauren felt herself getting weaker, and stars exploded behind her closed eyelids as unconsciousness threatened to overtake her. The flow of chi ceased suddenly as Bo came to her senses and stopped feeding. _Or maybe I'm dead or dreaming…_ Lauren thought, opening her eyes. "Please Bo…" she began, but saw that her girlfriend's eyes were clear now and the color was returning to her skin. But she was still bleeding.

"Lauren, no….I'm…fine for the moment – just call Dy-…Tamsin…?" the Succubus was looking over the doctors shoulder, her panting breaths in the cold air making it seem as if she was puffing out clouds of smoke.

"Tam…" the blonde turned around, "…sin!" The Valkyrie stared at the scene in front of her in shock and horror, and when she locked eyes with the exhausted doctor a silent question was asked and answered with their expressions. She looked more put together and well groomed than she had in days, and her hair was pulled tightly back into a neat bun.

Not one of them wanted it to come to this – but here they were. The Succubus tried to assuage the tension. "You…you don't …have to. We can-"

"Oh shut the fuck up, Bo!" the Valkyrie snapped brusquely at the injured fae while staring sympathetically into Lauren's terrified brown eyes. She half carried, half dragged the injured brunette into the alley, looking to and fro behind her to make sure the attacks hadn't attracted unwanted attention. She gave Dr. Lewis a lingering gaze of apology as they rounded the corner of the alley.

Lauren turned away and scooted on her rear to lean against the wall. She still felt a bit dizzy, but relieved that the Valkyrie had shown up when she did. _Why wouldn't she – I called her and she said she was on her way. Oh gods, this can't be easy for her. Or Bo…shit, any of us._ As she caught her breath, the ringing in her ears subsided but was thankfully enough to keep her from hearing the Succubus customary moaning and cries of ecstasy. She briefly wondered how vociferous the Valkyrie was in bed, if she was wild and unrestrained or tender and gentle. She laughed aloud at ridiculousness of her meandering thoughts. _I guess it's better than thinking about the kind of conversation we are all going to have after this…Not to mention the fact the Zee isn't banished after all, and Hera is on the loose once again._

She heard alarming shouting, and concentrated on it. Bo was calling her name…urgently. "Lauren…I need your help!"

The doctor put a hand out to brace herself against the wall and stood up. She made around the corner as Bo finished buttoning her corset. The Valkyrie was face down on the pavement, still dressed if not fully buttoned up, slowly dragging herself to her feet when the Succubus helped her to stand, "I'm fine…for fuck's sake Bo, let go of me…" she tried weakly to push the brunette away, but only succeeded in losing her balance again. This time, strong arms kept her from hitting the ground as Dr. Lewis rushed over to help the Succubus.

As they both held up the distressed Valkyrie, Lauren looked sternly at the guilt ridden Succubus, "Her pulse is weak; we need to get her to the clinic!"

"NO! He's in there! Don't…Lauren…I'm…" Tamsin protested, but her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she blacked out, now totally limp in their grasp.

"Lauren…I didn't mean to…she didn't stop me – she always stopped me! I-"

"Bo, it's alright. Shhh….don't. She's going to be fine. It's not your fault. Help me get her into her truck." The doctor indicated the beat up vehicle parked at the end of the alleyway neither of them had noticed pull up after the Succubus had been critically injured. Her girlfriend knew what she was trying to say – she didn't have to restrain herself while feeding with Dyson or any other regular fae lover. They were strong enough to push her back when it became too much for them. But Tamsin didn't, not this time.

"Shouldn't we take her to the clinic?" Bo asked.

"No. She doesn't want to be anywhere near your father in her condition. I'm going to respect her wishes." After they bundled the comatose blonde into the truck, Lauren checked her vitals again. "Stay with her, Bo. I'm going to get some supplies from the clinic."

Dr. Lewis hurried back with intravenous supplies and started a drip on the unconscious Valkyrie before they even tried to move her. Bo followed in her own car, helping the doctor lay the blonde fae on the couch in her apartment before leaving immediately afterwards against Lauren's request for her to stay. Dyson and Trick needed to be briefed and consulted about what was happening. Of course they did. They needed to look through some books; they need to make some calls. After a giving the doctor a peck on the cheek, the Succubus was off again.

Once she was alone, the doctor began pushing a steroid and adrenaline into Tamsin's glucose drip, hoping it would help the comatose fae regain her strength more quickly as she had very little medical or physiological information on Valkyrie. _But I'll be able to write the textbook on them soon the way Tamsin keeps running headlong into trouble. Oh…that is a thought, maybe it is a good idea to study her; it could only help the fae and my research…_

While she was debating on whether or not she should invest some of her time on documenting her knowledge of Valkyrie, she noticed the signs the unconscious woman was wakening. Tamsin twitched and her eyelids fluttered briefly before they opened fully. Her watery green eyes focused on Lauren's light brown ones, and the look the doctor gave her made her frown. "Great…just great. I suppose you want to talk about it, don't you." She closed her eyes again so she didn't have to see the disappointment and anger directed at her anymore. But she would hear it.

"Attempted suicide by Succubus – that's my clinical diagnosis. I guess there are much worse ways to kill yourself. If you have a martyr complex all I can say is putting that guilt on Bo is a real dick move on your part, Tamsin!" Lauren scolded, foregoing the textbook approach and opting for what her gut told her was warranted. Besides, no textbook she had every read covered this situation.

Tamsin snapped her eyes open, "I wasn't trying to kill myself, Lauren! I'd be dead already if I was. It was more like…Russian roulette. I really didn't care one way or another about the outcome." She was irked and insulted by the accusation.

"Russian Roulette? I don't think so - playing chicken is more your style. She denies your love for her. What better way to prove it than to see who would blink first – you weren't going to back down. And you won, so you snatched a scrap of dignity from a humiliating act. Are you happy now?" Dr. Lewis leaned forward to poignantly into her eyes, "There are some things your vanity _cannot_ stand." _Being used for sex by someone who doesn't believe you are capable of loving must be at the top of that list…_

The Valkyrie's furrowed eyebrows rose in surprise as her mouth dropped open; she was speechless. The human had discovered a fundamental truth in her nature she didn't even want to believe herself and laid it bare in plain language. Once she realized she hadn't spoken while Lauren was looking at her expectantly, daring her to express her denial, she turned away quickly and cleared her throat. "Wow, 'dick move,' Lauren? I didn't think you even knew such language existed."

The darker blonde smiled, even though her patient couldn't see it. "I had a brother; and I didn't always keep such _polite_ company! And for what it's worth; I know you love her." She took a stethoscope out of her bag and listened to the Valkyrie's lungs to make sure they were clear of fluid and then checked her blood pressure. "You seem to be recovering well; would you like me to get you anything? Something to eat or drink…?"

"Vodka? And before you say no, let me remind you I will just leave and go get some myself if you say no." Tamsin looked at her with determination.

Lauren rolled her eyes in defeat, "Ok, ok…and then we need to get you upstairs to get cleaned up. You're covered in blood. Bo's off meeting with Dyson and Trick, so you are stuck with me this evening." The doctor got up and found a nearly full bottle in one of her cupboards and brought it back. She didn't bother with a glass, the Valkyrie wasn't known for table manners. The blonde fae was texting on her phone as the doctor placed the bottle on the coffee table.

"Thanks, Lewis." She looked up when as she felt the suspicious eyes on her, "Just texting my boss. She won't be happy that I'm off for the night because I let Bo feed off me; but she'll be more pissed off if I lie about it. Bitch has eyes everywhere, and I'm sure every fae that goes to the Dal will know by tomorrow. Dyson likes to run his mouth…" She frowned at the memory of her failed attempt to start a relationship with the wolf and how he had confessed immediately to Bo. Giving up on him was probably the smartest decision she had made in a long time. Bo would always come first with the shifter and she wasn't in love with _him_ , anyways.

"Evony?" the doctor blurted out and immediately regretted it.

"WHAT?" the Valkyrie exclaimed sharply and perhaps too angrily judging by how Dr. Lewis jumped back involuntarily when she sat up. She softened her expression, "No, I don't work for Evony. That bitch will never forgive me for what I did. Let me tell you something – she holds a grudge. She _lives_ for getting payback. Made damn sure I'll never find work in **this** colony, and probably many more. Even the Light fae won't hire me. And look at me now. No, I'm working for Acacia to retake Valhalla, but she isn't making it easy for me to prove myself. I've pissed off a lot of people, including her." She grabbed the bottle and took a long pull off of it before she lay back down with a sigh. "Don't you have a date tonight or something?"

"No. I mean - yes…maybe. I think she may be too tired or shook up after…" Dr. Lewis didn't know where to go from there, but the Valkyrie wasn't interested in furthering the discussion over the impulsive Succubus's dating habits – especially when she saw the hurtful look that painted Lauren's expression if only for a second.

"Never mind…doesn't matter. Well, I fucked up again. Let's just leave it at that, since my conversational skills aren't on your level." This time she didn't bother sitting up to drink, but she didn't spill a drop as drinking was a skill in which she had reached a phenomenal level of mastery.

"Fair enough. But you still need to get cleaned up. Then we can watch some TV or something; you can keep me company. Can you walk?" Dr. Lewis brushed a strand of hair out of her face as she assessed the Valkyrie visually.

"Yeah, I think so. If you get this thing out of my arm." She held up the arm with the IV needle taped to it.

Dr. Lewis removed the IV and then watched the Valkyrie rummage through her bag for clean clothes. She stood up with her tank top and sweat pant and started walking slowly to the stairs, with her caregiver hovering within arm's reach at all times. Once they made it to the bathroom, she turned to address the doctor, "You don't have to follow me in here, Lewis. I'm not going to slit my wrists or anything."

"I know. But, the physiological shock of the water may induce faintness when your body-" the doctor began dissertating.

"Oh please! Spare me the lecture. You're right, I know how water temperatures can affect a person in a weakened state - I don't need to know why. I might just pass out from boredom." The Valkyrie grumbled, but stood motionless in the bathroom.

Lauren was about to smirk about how much Bo enjoyed her informative scientific lectures, but bit back on that immediately. Instead she opted for a more mutually acceptable form of teasing, "Don't tell me you've become shy all of the sudden!"

"NO! I'm just starting to think you like seeing me naked." She gave the lithe doctor a lurid sidelong gaze that had enough of a hint of honest to goodness lust behind it that Lauren became uncomfortable. But the shit eating grin that spread across the tall fae's face belied her impish intentions and the doctor couldn't back down from its challenge.

"Seriously, Tamsin – don't flatter yourself!" Lauren laughed out loud once she recovered from her shock, "Do you know how many beautiful women I've seen undress?"

The Valkyrie took a step closer to her, reveling in their game of chicken. "No, I don't. Would you like to tell me about them? I'm curious to know how I rate, in your scientific opinion. After all, you are the human who conquered the Succubus Queen's heart. You are the authority on hotness - I should have gone after the better woman!" Tamsin leaned in and inhaled deeply close to her ear, but abruptly pulled back when she noticed the anxious state of the doctor, dumbstruck and lost in her own musings. The Valkyrie had been sandbagging in their little games, and Lauren had always overbid her hand – it was abundantly clear when the bluffs were called.

 _OMG what is she doing! No…no…no - she can't be falling in love with me – oh my God I shouldn't have flirted with her…she's my PATIENT! I didn't mean to lead her on…I only thought…what was I thinking?… is she fucking with me?…is she trying to seduce me?...She has every reason to HATE me…no…she saved me…I saved her…_ Dr. Lewis was dragged out of her reverie by two firm hands on her shoulders, a gentle shake and the realization the Valkyrie was talking to her once again.

"Lauren!...Lauren – it was a **joke**!" The green eyes searching her own were narrowed and watery with concern. "I…I didn't mean …I KNOW you are with Bo…I thought we were just….awwww SHIT!" the taller blonde released her when she didn't respond and help her with her tongue tripping apology. Tamsin turned away and bent over to pick up her clothes she had dropped on the floor. "I fucked up – AGAIN. I'm sorry. I'm feeling better now; I'll just go."

The doctor found her voice, finally, "No. You will get your _Grade A_ ass in the shower and get cleaned up. And then you can rest while we will watch Star Trek TNG together. No one else will watch it with me, and it's the least you can do for me. **Please.** " Tamsin closed her eyes and sighed in relief, nodding her head in agreement.

Dr. Lewis had been rattled, then had inadvertently rattled the unflappable Valkyrie and bent her to her will. It gave her a sense of power she had never felt with Bo. _We have next to NOTHING in common; Tamsin is unrefined, powerful, blunt and crude- but she notices everything and isn't as easily distracted as Bo. And I am surprised she is so devoted given the number of people she has betrayed! But then again…maybe it was a crisis of conscience on her part. A soldier is never chooses the war they are fighting, only how they conduct their self. I was wrong – she isn't in love with me. She isn't acting all sickly sweet and clingy with me like she did with Bo. I'm just the only friend she has right now. And I could use a friend now, too._ Yet she couldn't deny there was a tiny, yet rapidly growing part of her being that felt warmed by the tall fae's flattery and devotion to her. However, with those feelings came a slight pang of regret that the Valkyrie wasn't in love with _her_.

"Alright, I'll watch it. But don't expect me to pretend to like it." Tamsin said as she pulled her bloodied clothes off, and Lauren turned away. Not for the Valkyrie's sake, but for her own. Somehow her patient's guileless nature was affecting her tonight, and she hoped that quip about going after the 'better woman' wasn't just a joke. The doctor's cheeks flushed red as she ventured a glance in the bathroom's vanity mirror and caught a fleeting glimpse of the Valkyrie's eyes looking back at her as she stepped into the shower. While the Valkyrie steadfastly extolled her lack of pretension, Dr. Lewis was trying hard to pretend she didn't enjoy her company.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Still working the other story. Next chapter things get more…just more.**

Chapter 8: You Got a Friend - You ain't Lonely

The Valkyrie was laid out on one end of the couch, the doctor sitting on the other as they watched the science fiction show most dear to Lauren. Tamsin tried her best to keep her long legs to herself, but gave up in the second episode and stretched them out to their full length. She plopped her feet unceremoniously on her host's lap without a look of explanation or comment. And Lauren took in stride as well, pulling the blanket to down to cover her patient's lower extremities.

"She's got some balls on her!" Tamsin laughed, pointed at the screen when Chief Security Officer Tasha Yar was ranting at her captain and disagreeing with his decisions.

"Hmmm, I kinda thought you would like her." Lauren snickered and rested her hands on the Valkyrie's feet. _Should I tell her she dies in the first season?…no that's a spoiler. Don't want to spoil the mood, either. Besides, she'll like that Worf takes her place and the Klingon storylines even more._

They stayed like that, occasionally exchanging a comment or question and answer about the show. Lauren couldn't help but beam a smug grin throughout knowing the Valkyrie was resistant to watch the show given its lack of gore and violence, but assured her appreciation of it was genuine even if it was not for the same reasons she loved it. _She doesn't even care about the ethical questions the program addresses….but does it really matter why we enjoy the same show? Right here and right now – someone is here to share my favorite program with me._

Her phone buzzed on the end table, and she reached for it without looking from the television screen, "Dr. Lewis." When she realized it was Bo on the line, she lifted the Valkyrie's feet and got up off the couch to take the call in the kitchen. The Succubus called off going out; she was sorry. It was understandable and not unexpected – a lot had happened and Zeus was on the loose again. And now Hera was as well. Dyson was concerned about Hera's vessel's human wife, and needed an ear to bend. Of course he did, she understood. She saw the big picture – Bo was hers, but everybody loved Bo. And Bo cared about everybody. She had a lot on her plate, but tomorrow night she would be Lauren's alone. They exchanged 'love yous' and the doctor ended the call.

She walked back into the living room and shoved the Valkyrie's feet away from her spot before she sat back down. Tamsin didn't move until Lauren sat down in a huff, and then put her feet back onto the doctor's lap without looking away from the television. The doctor snapped her eyes over to the blonde head laying on a pillow at the other end of the sofa; her green eyes and attention were still focused on the TV. Lauren snickered lightly through her nose, and pulled the covers over the bare feet on her lap, toes curled with the chill in the air. Tamsin wasn't curious about who she was talking to or what it was about. Dr. Lewis would like to discuss it with a friend, but not this one. _I don't need to tell her, she probably has a good idea about what that was all about. There is nothing left to say about it between us. And I'm sure she knows exactly how I feel right now. Gods, if I wasn't in love with Bo…no – don't go there. She doesn't care about me. Everything she does is for the love of Bo…just like the rest of us. And she never varnishes her opinions, even when it would be more prudent to do so. Still…she likes my show, and I'm glad I can take a time out and share this with someone._

They didn't speak, and the silence between them was only broken when the Valkyrie began to snore softly. She was out, and Lauren smiled as she rolled her eyes in amusement. It was all for the best – she really needed to slow down and regain her strength. The doctor debated going up to bed herself, but settled more comfortably on the couch instead. It was still early, and unconscious company was better than no company at all if the only other option was whiling away the evening alone in bed.

Eventually she did go to bed when Tamsin's snoring became unbearably loud, and was punctuated by an occasional kick of her legs. Regretfully, she turned off the lights and television and marched up the stairs, fighting the urge to look back at her slumbering guest. Lauren didn't know if she would be there in the morning, or if tonight might be the last night she would ever see her. _I feel like I am a wildlife rehabilitator; I know a wounded animal yearns for the freedom of the forest once they are healed. She said she was helping Acacia take over Valhalla; she probably will choose to go back home and be with her people. I don't blame her, but there is no going back for me. I have to make the best of the life I have chosen._

But the next morning when she came downstairs to make herself breakfast, the Valkyrie was still sleeping on the couch. Dr. Lewis smirked, and made as much noise as possible while preparing a simple breakfast of fruit and oatmeal. The snoring from the couch continued unabated, so once the food was prepared she walked over to gaze at the sleeping blonde. She was laying on her stomach, one arm hanging over the edge of the couch. Lauren reached out and shook her shoulder gently, jumping back afterwards in case the Valkyrie lashed out in her sleep.

"Hhhhuummmm….?" Was the only response from the blonde fae.

"I made us breakfast, Tamsin. Get up – you need to eat since you fell asleep before dinner." Dr. Lewis went into full physician mode and issued orders with the implication that she expected them to be followed without question. Her expectations were ignored.

"What time is it?" she mumbled in response.

"Time to get up and eat. I took the time and effort to make sure you got some nourishment – and the least you can do is eat it." Lauren reached down and grabbed her arm, pulling the grumbling and mock crying blonde up to sit on the couch. "Wow. You can act like such a big baby sometimes. I had no idea." Lauren snickered at the antics of the normally crude and undeniably strong willed fae.

Tamsin didn't answer verbally, but shot eye daggers at the doctor. Lauren turned away so that the Valkyrie wouldn't see that see that she was stifling another bout of laughter and went into the kitchen to eat. Once the doctor sat down, she looked up to see that the blonde fae had followed her after all and took a seat across from her, looking at her breakfast with undisguised disgust. "What the hell is this? Don't you have any cereal? Bo and Kenzi always had cereal."

"Just eat it, or go over to Bo's and have breakfast with her." The darker blonde snapped.

"That's pretty damn cold of you, Lewis." The Valkyrie pulled her lips together grimly and blew a heavy breath out through her nose as she pouted.

"Well, you are acting like an ungrateful spoiled brat." Lauren shot back.

"And you are playing with fire! What are you gonna do, put me over your knee and spank me?! I'd love to see you try!" her guest challenged in an affected goading voice, and slapped her hands on the table as she jumped up to answer the call of the coffee machine as it announced that it had finished brewing during her retort. "Thank the gods – at least you have coffee!"

The distraction allowed Lauren to recover from the shock of Tamsin's behavior. Clearly, she wasn't a morning person, the doctor thought as she gazed the backside of the blonde fae searching the cupboards for a coffee cup. The sweatpants she was wearing were hanging dangerously low on her hips, and the doctor was wishing against hope they would fall so she could see what was under them again. Tamsin seemed oblivious to the affect her words had on her host. _Oh gods, I am playing with fire…she is definitely not trying to flirt with me now; why am I imagining what it would feel like to actually touch-_

"I'm…I…didn't mean…I'm not…I don't like early mornings." She turned around with a sigh, cup of coffee in hand. "Thank you, for taking me in." It was the closest she could come to an apology at this hour of the morning.

The doctor prayed her cheeks weren't flushed and advertising the direction her thoughts were traveling as she sputtered out. "I…uh…I'm sorry I woke you up so early. But even Valkyrie need to eat, Tamsin. You can go back to sleep afterwards, if you want." Lauren asked for her to bring her a cup as well, and they ate together in silence afterwards.

But when Tamsin finished her meal and made a beeline for the couch, the doctor cleared her throat authoritatively. The tall blonde visibly cringed as she froze in her tracks and then slowly turned around with a sheepish grin, "Sorry, I forgot." She walked back into the kitchen and cleared off her dirty dishes, rinsing them and placing them in the dishwasher. "Have a nice day, _doctor_." She said with a sidelong stare and smirk as she sashayed past her on the way back to the living room.

The doctor grinned at her as she headed back to the couch, "Have a nice nap, _Valkyrie_. Do you need me to tuck you in?" _OK, now that_ _ **was**_ _flirtatious…_ But Tamsin took in stride and laughed it off. It's what they did, the two of them. It was casual, it was easy, – and it was as natural as breathing to enjoy each other's company. There was nothing at stake and neither expected anything of the other. And everyday they discovered new common ground.

The rest of Dr. Lewis' day was occupied with research, patients, and a surprise visit at the clinic by Bo. They shared smoothies and exchanged small talk before the Succubus left to finish her own chores for the day. The weekly Friday afternoon meeting with Evony never did happen; the former Morrigan didn't show and wouldn't return her calls. Evony was a stickler for punctuality, and the Valkyrie's warning of her vindictive nature came immediately to mind causing her evermore worry. Of course she had always been aware of how vengeful Evony was, but since Tamsin made it a point to deliberately tell her made her all the more concerned. _Evony is plotting something…she isn't going to wait until the Ancients are defeated to make her move._

The rest of the day was thankfully uneventful, and she ended her day at the clubhouse with Bo. As promised, she had the undivided attention of her girlfriend for the entire evening. They sat on the couch, lit only by candlelight as they talked. The Succubus was nearly gushing about how much she was learning from and about her father until Lauren expressed her suspicions about him. The brunette assured her she was being careful, and reminder her how crucial it was for them to learn more about him. Soon, they stopped talking all together and engaged in more amorous activities; the doctor reveling in her conduit powers that allowed her to pull chi from the Succubus.

Things hadn't escalated very far when the sound of the door opening and the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly interrupted them. The Valkyrie had made her presence known before she came into view as if she knew what might be going on in the clubhouse. "Tamsin! You're….there you are!" The Succubus seemed startled by the appearance of the Valkyrie, but not surprised. Lauren wondered what was going on since her girlfriend hadn't mentioned she called the blonde fae and invited her over to the clubhouse as Tamsin was reminding her. She was just here to pick up a letter at the Succubus' request.

Bo was acting with exceedingly giddy sweetness that rang false as she looked for the promised letter, and it made Lauren suspicious as to why she didn't just ask her to give it to the Valkyrie or leave it at the Dal for her to pick up. _This is soooo awkward! She forgot she called Tamsin, forgot we were supposed to spend some time alone, and now she forgot what she did with the letter. And poor Tamsin, she looks like she wants to be anywhere but here – watching us get romantic on the couch._ The doctor was taken out of her thoughts when her girlfriend gave up on her half-hearted pretense of a search and got up off the sofa. She stepped over the doctor's legs to walk over and talk to the Valkyrie for an entirely different reason – and one Dr. Lewis suspected was the real reason she called her in the first place.

"Trick says you're going somewhere." Bo told her bluntly, with a mixture of concern and accusation.

The Valkyrie grew agitated at that, and skirted both the subject and the brunette blocking her path into the room. "Uhh….want me to help you look? You know- speed up the process?" She gave the Succubus a wide berth and a suspicious gaze as she walked over to the couch next to where Lauren was sitting.

Embarrassed at the whole ambush setup she hadn't been aware of, the doctor offered her some of her whimsical homemade brownies with the dubious name "Rocky Toad," which the Valkyrie refused with exaggerated politeness. Lauren sat back on the couch and rolled her eyes. _What the hell was Bo thinking? This is humiliating for Tamsin – and uncomfortable for me._ She lifted her rear to one side when she realized she was sitting on the letter as the Valkyrie picked it up gingerly, mumbling her apologies for the embarrassing situation, and opened it.

Whatever it was had obviously upset her, though she tried to mask her emotional turmoil by dismissing the Succubus' concern. She shoved the letter into her pocket and headed to the door but was stopped when Bo stepped in front of her. "Tamsin, what's going on? Are you in trouble?"

The Valkyrie swallowed visibly and told her with a pained look, "Save it, Bo. Don't waste your time on someone you don't care about. A candle lit room, romantic music and a beautiful woman over there you love more than anything – and you want to talk to _me_? Shouldn't you be giving your attention to _her_ instead? She deserves it more than I do." After her stoic response, she left. Bo stood motionless and speechless and didn't regain her voice until she heard the door close with a soft click. She closed her eyes at her failure to get answers, but remained ignorant of the fact that her well intended plan of reconciliation had only driven a wedge further between her and the Valkyrie. And she had taken Lauren for granted, yet again, by interrupted their precious time alone together and forcing her to witness her attempt to keep a former lover close.

"Well, that didn't work. So much for trying to be nice." Bo sighed and walked back over to sit next to Lauren on the couch. "At least she didn't curse me out and throw a temper tantrum – so I guess I'm making progress!" She grinned at her girlfriend who rolled her eyes and slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Sure, Bo, it is progress for her to hide her humiliation from us. Did you even listen to what she said?" Lauren looked deep into her brown eyes, hoping to find some sort of acknowledgement that the encounter was more hurtful than helpful to all of them.

The Succubus was oblivious and defensive, "Lauren…you wanted us all to talk at the clinic. Remember? We never got the chance, so…"

 _This is going nowhere…she can't see the pain she causes others. How can she draw a moral equivalency between meeting in a neutral business setting and luring Tamsin here during our date night without even telling me? But her heart is in the right place…_ "Never mind, Bo. Let's go upstairs." Dr. Lewis shook off her misgivings and decided to take advantage of their time together.

The Succubus needed no other encouragement to drop the conversation and take her girlfriend to bed. That was the one they always both agreed on – their mutual attraction and chemistry. After all- love at first sight is true love and lasts forever Lauren mused, against her own reasoning nature that informed her otherwise. But she did love Bo, and Bo loved her – that was undeniable. It wasn't always easy to be in love with a Succubus, but the sacrifices she made to make the relationship work were worth it. It was her mantra.

Lauren didn't go home until late the next morning, after some Succubus sex in the shower and an unexpected argument with her girlfriend. She had let slip that the key to her immortality came from a hint Hades had given her. Bo was adamant that she not trust or talk with him while she insisted she needed to do just what she had forbidden the doctor. It wasn't the hypocrisy that set off Dr. Lewis – it was the hubris of the Succubus to imply that she was inherently more intelligent and wiser than the former human given her status among the fae. While Lauren knew she only did so out of concern for her health and safety, it came off as arrogant and condescending. She dressed quickly and left for her apartment.

When she got home, the Valkyrie wasn't there and she ate breakfast alone. Even though she had no intention of discussing her relationship with Bo with the tall blonde, she missed her company. _Bo said Tamsin was going somewhere…I didn't see her duffel bag here. She wouldn't leave without telling me good bye, would she? Well, at least I understand why Bo misses her being around now – she always knows what to say – even if it the wrong thing to say. Bo said she and Tamsin talked a lot – I wonder what their conversations were like._

After her lonely breakfast she tidied up the apartment to keep busy until she got a text from Evony apologizing for missing their standing appointment and asking her to meet at the Dal. Dr. Lewis considered whether or not she should meet with the former Morrigan without the Succubus to back her up, but the Dal was a sanctuary that even Evony wouldn't defy. And she was still her patient and the financial backer of her clinic.

The way station wasn't crowded when she got there, but there were enough people there that she felt assured Evony wouldn't try any underhanded chicanery when she showed up. She took a seat at the end of the bar and waited; she had intentionally showed up far earlier than agreed upon meeting time. Trick noticed her when he walked in from the back room, shaking his head as if something was bothering him. He walked the length of the bar and leaned towards her, "Lauren! Where's Bo?"

"I…hello to you, too, Trick. Why yes, I would like something to drink." He scowled at her, and she rolled her eyes and answered him, "Bo's out on a case with Dyson."

He gave her the light beer she asked for and hurried away without explanation. Not that she cared – she was used to his suspicious nature. And she didn't share her reasons for being there, either. There was a fundamental lack of trust and understanding between her and her girlfriend's grandfather that could never be resolved with words. He was fighting battles she wasn't aware of as she struggled with her own problems. And Evony was her problem du jure.

The doctor was nearly finished with her beer when she heard Bo call out from the door of the Dal, but she wasn't calling her. "TAMSIN!"

 _Well, now I know why Tick wanted Bo…_ Lauren turned on her stool to watch the events unfold. Tamsin was indeed in the Dal, apparently leaving the back room with an older woman she assumed must be Acacia. Whoever she was, Bo seemed to know her. "Tamsin, I know things are weird between us right now – but I can't believe you would leave us for HER!"

The older woman gave Bo an indignant look and then turned to address the taller Valkyrie, "You see – I warned you what would happen if you caught some feels with a Succubus! They don't let their thralls escape the harem!"

"Stay out of this Acacia! This is between me and her." The Succubus warned with a glare, and Acacia raised her hands in surrender before folding her arms over her chest and raising her eyebrows expectantly at Tamsin.

"There is no 'me and you,' Bo. There never was. I have to go now." She started for the door, and the Succubus stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Tamsin…you're still my friend. I need your help!" She looked at her earnestly, trying to convince the Valkyrie of her sincerity.

But the Valkyrie wasn't having it and took a step back to break the physical contact between them as she shook her head with a look of sanguine regret, "No, Bo – I 'rub you the wrong way.' I was your employee. It's alright, I just work for someone else now."

"You were always more than that! I care about you, Ta-" As the Succubus took a step forward to get back into Tamsin's personal space, Acacia inserted herself to rescue her Valkyrie sister before she broke down and embarrassed herself publically.

"That's enough! You broke your toy and threw it away – you can't have it back after someone else finds it and fixes it!" Acacia was in the Succubus' personal space now, and they launched into a verbal sparring match and shoving contest.

Tamsin turned her back on the pair and saw Lauren sitting at the bar, looking at her sympathetically. Their eyes never left each other's as Acacia argued with the Succubus over who owned the moral high ground and the right to Tamsin's aid and loyalty as if she were a were an object; and she stood there and took it as if it was nothing unusual in her experience. She simply raised her eyebrows and shrugged at the concern in Lauren's expression as the doctor's heart ached for the Valkyrie; it wasn't unusual for Lauren to be treated like that either. She knew what that felt like – she herself had been treated like a commodity by both the Dark and Light fae as they each coerced her for her services. Lauren understood – trading one form of servitude for another still makes you a servant. _They are arguing over who has Tamsin's best interests at heart and neither one of them does! I'm her real friend; probably her only one. She looks like she is just over all of this. I should do something!_ Dr. Lewis stood up to go and break up the thoughtless argument, but stopped dead when she saw the former Morrigan enter the Dal and walk past the fray towards her without a pause.

Oblivious, Bo appealed directly to her former lover once again, "Tamsin – talk to me! I'm not leaving until you do!"

Since she was watching Dr. Lewis at the bar, the taller Valkyrie saw Evony storm in and launch into a tirade at Lauren. She turned and faced the Succubus and broke her resolve, "Your girlfriend needs you now, Bo. I don't."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry it took so long. Holidays and cooking and work and so forth. I want to finish this one in a few more chapters. Also working the DoV sequel but I am shit at multi tasking. This chapter is more fluffy.**

Chapter 9: Hell and Heaven

Once Evony had caught the Succubus' attention, she dropped her attempts to convince the Valkyrie to help her like a hot potato and immediately ran over to Lauren. The doctor raised a hand to her girlfriend to stop her from interjecting; Evony wasn't really an immediate threat as she was alone and still human. Lauren wanted to hear what she had to say.

"And so, you will find out what it feels like when Karma bites YOU in the ass!" The former Morrigan noticed Bo next to her and looked her up and down, "And your little dog, too!"

Bo squinted at her, "What have you done, Evony?"

The now human brunette tilted her head back and let out a lilting laugh, "Me – nothing! Just made a petition for my own Karmic justice for both of you; so you better figure out how to make me fae again soon, or it may take effect…payback in kind!" she gave them both a smile that looked more like a sneer, and then turned on her heel and left.

Dr. Lewis was worried, while the Succubus dismissed her concerns. The curse on Evony had only affected her once she was human – no sense in worrying about that since they were both fae. Surely she was just desperate and yanking Lauren's chain to get her to devote more of her time to helping her. Trick joined them, and he agreed with his granddaughter's theory. They moved on and discussed what he thought Tamsin and Acacia were up to since they had asked to look at some of his historical books. But even though Lauren knew what they were doing, she didn't say. They might not even believe her if she did tell them, especially if the information came from Tamsin. _Bo doesn't take anyone's council except her own. She thinks what Tamsin is doing is more of a threat to our future than what Evony might be planning._

Lauren wasn't fully engaged in the conversation, and even less attentive once Dyson joined them and told Bo of a murder case he believed involved Zeus. Once Mark and Vex came in, she was pretty much shut out of it – they were planning an investigation that didn't involve her. Bo was grousing about Tamsin being immature and not attentive to their needs while Dyson agreed with his silence. She excused herself and went home to an empty apartment to get some rest, her disagreement with her girlfriend left unresolved as the Succubus was preoccupied with other issues, as usual.

The next morning, she allowed herself to sleep in and get up late. And when she came back downstairs, Tamsin was in the kitchen scrounging for something to eat. She beamed a brilliant toothy smile at the surprised doctor and greeted her warmly, "Good morning, Dr. Lewis. What's on the menu for breakfast this morning? More gruel and other healthy shit or something that actually tastes good?"

Lauren disguised her surprise and relief at Tamsin's unexpected return by slapping her playfully on the shoulder before she shoved her out of the way so she could look through the refrigerator. _I should call Bo, and let her know she's back._ She thought before rejecting the idea. _They will probably just fight, and then we will be back to square one. If we need her help, we have to persuade her and not make demands of her. Given their situation, Bo isn't the best person to ask it of her._

After breakfast and while they were both cleaning the kitchen Tamsin finally spoke of what she had been doing with Acacia the day before. "You won't have to worry about Freya sending Valkyrie after you anymore. She's out – Acacia is in. She won't bother you anymore. And I KNOW what you are going to ask – we didn't kill her. But she has been de-clawed!"

"Oh…well that's good. Now I just have to worry about Hades." She sighed heavily and added without thinking, "And Evony."

"Evony? I thought she was human – and your BFF now!" the Valkyrie frowned. Once Lauren told her of the mysterious threat the former Morrigan had issued, she promised to look into it through her Dark fae connections. But then a thought came to her, "Did you ask Vex about it?"

"Oh, uh…no. I didn't think of that." Lauren shut the dishwasher and turned on the wash cycle.

"Of course you didn't. He's an outsider, like me. I'll talk to him about it. Evony was right about one thing – we will never be totally accepted by Bo and her family of Light fae." She stated matter of factly and without malicious intent, but the doctor was offended regardless.

Dr. Lewis stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, looking deep into her green eyes, "That's not true, Tamsin. You know that."

The Valkyrie gave her a pained smile, "I…didn't mean you, Lauren. I think we understand each other." She looked down at her feet, remembering her 'confusion' with the Succubus. "Unless I'm not wrong about _that_ , too."

"You're not. You are my friend – my sounding board. Bo has her own bestie, and you are my foul-mouthed badass Kenzi." She lifted the Valkyrie's chin with her other hand so that and saw that the tall blonde fae had dropped her head to hide the embarrassing red flush that colored her cheeks. Lauren gave her an earnest expression as she repeated the Valkyries's words back to her, "Unless I'm not wrong about that."

Tamsin shook her head ever so slightly in her grip, eyes wild with fright and her face growing more flushed. Lauren suspected this must be the first time she was placed above all others in someone's affections, even if it were only as a close friend and confidante. _She looks like she is about to cry; and I bet she is thinking of an offensive brush-off to cover the fact like she usually does. I'm not going to let her, not this time._ Lauren lunged forward without a second thought and kissed the tall blonde fae tenderly, yet chastely as the Valkyrie had done to her twice before. When she pulled away and saw the shocked look on Tamsin's face, she felt proud of herself. "That's one I owed you. I'll save the other one for the next time your brain short circuits."

Lauren released the dumbstruck fae and walked out of the kitchen with a self-satisfied smirk. Not many people could get the last word in on the Valkyrie, and as she grabbed her jacket and keys she couldn't help but rub it in just a little. "Don't wait up for me – and make sure you lock the door if you go out."

She spent the day with Bo, and it went pretty much the way she expected it would. Reconciliation, make-up sex, listening to her girlfriend's obsessing over her problems followed by solicitations for her endorsement of the Succubus's decisions on how to resolve her issues with her father and her grandfather. Apparently Trick had been hiding Aife from Bo in an asylum, and Bo was enraged. Dyson was on the Succubus' shit list as well, once she called him and discovered he had already known about it. Date night was off as the Succubus made plans with the shifter to visit the mental hospital Aife had escaped from. And although Lauren was invited to tag along, she declined. She wasn't feeling well – and that was the truth. It was all understandable; there were no hard feelings between them. It was Bo's mother, after all, and she needed to do this. But she still felt a pang that while the Succubus felt insecure about having no family it was her who was truly alone.

When Lauren arrived home in the late afternoon, the Valkyrie was still sleeping in her usual tank top and sweat pants. It was all for the best – she really didn't want to engage in their playful small talk and meaningless flirting. She felt feverish and slighted by her girlfriend, and was in no mood to endure any of Tamsin's impish jibes. The doctor decided against cooking anything for dinner and opted for a tall glass of water. She felt she was in the early stages of a bout of influenza and wanted only to go to bed and sleep it off. She turned on the tap, and the sound of the water running was still present in the background when she regained consciousness.

"LAUREN! Oh thank the gods!" Tamsin's face was hovering over her, undisguised worry creasing the corners of her eyes. "C'mon…let's get you to the clinic…" The Valkyrie gathered her in her arms and picked her up off the floor, ignoring the broken glass that had cut her bare feet leaving bloody red foot prints on the floor.

"I'm alright….I feel fine now!" the doctor protested, holding on to the Valkyrie's biceps. Tamsin froze and looked at her critically. "Put me down, Tamsin!"

She reluctantly did as she was ordered and stood back to study Lauren cautiously with narrowed eyes. After taking a few breaths, Lauren felt dizzy again and reached out to grasp the Valkyrie for support. Her vision cleared as she felt the Valkyrie's power surge through her, and an unpleasant epiphany came to her as she listened to the water running in the sink. _Evony had me cursed! And I have no fae powers unless I borrow them through my conduit powers…oh no…_ "OK…take me to the clinic, please. But turn off the water, Tamsin."

It was just as Dr. Lewis had hypothesized; her body was rejecting her genetic manipulation. She had to be fully human or fae to contain the degenerative process, and given that it was karmic curse it would only make sense that what she had done to Evony would be done to her. And so she reversed the process and made herself human again. Tamsin was oblivious to her predicament, and only knew she was ill. She offered to call Bo to her side for her, but she told her not to; this news needed to be delivered in person. And so while the loudly swearing Valkyrie was occupied by Lauren's assistants digging broken glass out of her feet, Dr. Lewis slipped away with a colleague to retrieve her own car and head over to the clubhouse. It was over – her dream of staying with Bo forever and gaining broad acceptance in the fae community. If she felt so alone with her girlfriend as a hybrid fae, there was no way to make their relationship work as a human given the Succubus' needs.

She tried to make the breakup clean and emotionless and failed. Bo was disconsolate and reduced to a tearful mess, as was she. The Succubus felt alone and abandoned; despite the fact everyone around her doted on her and had always dropped whatever they were doing to satisfy her every whim. Lauren understood that it wasn't her fault – she couldn't help what she was. But the love and devotion Bo was showered with would never be enough; she was insatiable and always asked for more. Lauren felt she had nothing left to give now that she had forfeited her immortality. Even the promise of being together forever wasn't enough for Bo to put Lauren first, and now that was gone. _Now I understand why Tamsin didn't stop her from feeding; she wanted to see how much Bo was capable of taking from her. Not enough to kill, but so much it hurt. Loving Bo is like trying to stay above water in a raging sea – if you keep going under enough times eventually it becomes so tiring and painful it feels better to just give up and drown. And there are so many of us in the water we push each other under sometimes just to pull ourselves up and take a gasp of air…_

Lauren got home that evening to an empty apartment. It suited her mood; she didn't want to cry in front of the Valkyrie over their mutual love interest. But after she finished her third glass of wine, Tamsin showed up. The embarrassed look on her face and almost shy demeanor betrayed the fact that she knew what had happened between the human doctor and the Succubus. "Hey. I uh…brought some beer and pizza. I mean…if you want some."

The doctor poured herself another glass of wine and eyed the Valkyrie as she gingerly placed her consolation gifts on the counter. She was shoeless, though her feet were bandaged, and still dressed in her typical sleepwear. Lauren wondered briefly how the penniless Valkyrie managed to buy anything under those circumstances, but snorted out a bitter laugh when she realized she must have used her fae powers to obtain her ill gotten bounty. Powers Lauren would never have; powers and beauty that weren't enough to make the Succubus love the Valkyrie even though Bo craved her chi. If only Lauren possessed them…. Dr. Lewis drank a long draught of her wine, but it couldn't wash down the bitterness and sarcasm she voiced. "Thanks, Tamsin. How romantic of you."

Tamsin stood motionless as her face drew dark, storm clouds gathering in her expression, "I'm your friend, Lauren. I'm not trying to seduce you!"

"What a relief. Because if you were, you would be doing a shit job of it." The doctor thought that would be enough to compel the Valkyrie to leave her alone, but she was wrong as the blonde fae took the intention of her brusqueness personally.

"Are you saying I can't be romantic?" she exclaimed, indignant at the personal insult.

"No, I'm saying leave me alone. But while we are on the subject: Yes – I do think you are incapable of being romantic."

The Valkyrie walked around the counter to stand in front of her as she glowered over her, "Take it back, or I'll make you take it back!"

Lauren was tipsy and unfazed by the challenge. Tamsin wouldn't hurt her – she knew that. "No. Make me, if you must."

Tamsin leaned back with a shocked expression. She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then snorted a chuckle through her nose. Throwing a smug grin at the doctor, she walked to the refrigerator and rummaged through the drawers. Lauren turned just in time to see her stuffing something into her pockets. "Tamsin, what-"

The Valkyrie slammed the door and pulled the human into a tight embrace, "Just remember - you asked for it." Before Dr. Lewis could react, Tamsin's wings emerged and surrounded them as everything was engulfed in a brilliant light that blocked out all thoughts of sorrow. Once it faded and the wings retreated back into the Valkyrie, Lauren saw they were alone on a beautiful grassy glade. She looked around in wonder at the nearby forest and mountains in the distance. She was mistaken; they weren't alone; on the other side of the clearing were a herd of white horses now alert and looking in their direction, ears swiveling to capture sound from every direction. But….wait –

"Are those…unicorns?" the incredulous and ever curious scientist asked as she extracted herself from her companion's embrace and took cautious steps towards the creatures. The Valkyrie stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Lauren – don't!" she whispered, "If you want to see them up close, just do what I do. Trust me." The doctor froze and turned to the blonde fae who was looking off in the distance over the animal's backs. She took a single carrot out of her pocket and held it up, then turned quickly and walked away in the opposite direction, pulling the confused human behind her. "Don't look back." She whispered. The sound of tentative hooves behind them spurred the Valkyrie to quicken the pace, and soon the pair where jogging to the edge of the forest.

Tamsin was snickering softly at Dr. Lewis' whispered urgent questioning. When they stopped, Lauren could hear the snorting and nickering of the animals just behind her. "They are stronger and faster," she explained, "you have to make them come to you." Only when Tamsin met her eyes and nodded with a gentle smile did she turn around to look at them. The Valkyrie pressed the carrot into her hand and leaned next to her ear to explain that horses can't see directly in front of them and she should approach from the side. She knew that they lacked binocular vision; being well versed in biological sciences, but never applied that knowledge practically.

"Ouch!" she howled as the lead unicorn bit her in his exuberance to eat from her hand.

"Sorry…" Tamsin apologized with a wince, "…I forgot to tell you to keep your hand flat when you feed them."

But she was ignored as Lauren was in awe of the mythical creature and slowly stroked his side, marveling at how his flesh tensed and quivered beneath her hand before calming at her gentle touch. The some of the other herd members bumped into her as they pressed forward eagerly in hopes of getting a snack from the Valkyrie. The stallion wasn't having it, though, and the doctor jumped back as he nipped and kicked the others away before returning like an oversized puppy begging for more treats.

Dr. Lewis was alarmed, but Tamsin laughed it off, "Yup, he's our guy!" She untied the drawstring of her sweatpants and pulled it free, looping it around the nose of the animal in a loose slipknot as she fed him another carrot. She led him over to a fallen tree and beckoned Lauren to stand on it.

"Tamsin…I don't think-"

"Don't think. Get on. Just…don't squeeze with your legs. He might get the wrong idea. Hold on here…" she grabbed the fatty base of the unicorn's mane near his withers, "…it won't hurt him. I promise."

Cautiously, Lauren pulled up her skirt and straddled the beast while fighting the instinct to pull her knees tightly against him as he danced slightly once her full weight was on his back. But Tamsin kept him calmed with soft words in her own language, giving the doctor had the impression that this wasn't the first time she had done this with someone. The thought that Bo and Kenzi would love to share this experience broke the spell and brought reality crashing down on her. The moment was spoiled for her as sorrow tinted her emotions once again. She couldn't help but voice her frustration, "Tamsin, where are we, and what are you doing?"

"Elysium. And I'm winning a bet. Take it back." She said, hiking up the sweatpants that continually slipped from her waist once free of the tethering drawstring. She fed the animal another baby carrot, all the while staring at Lauren with raised eyebrows expectantly. Not receiving what she wanted from the doctor, she turned and led the unicorn to a trail through the forest.

The human was still sullen, not ready to leae until she satisfied her curiosity but not ready to concede either. She rode in silence through the trees until she realized that the Valkyrie was singing as she led the unicorn. The tune was vaguely familiar to Lauren, but she couldn't place it until she sang the chorus, "She's as sweet as Tupelo honey…she's an angel of the first degree…"

"Really, Tamsin. Van Morrison – is that what you sing when you try your hand at romance?" Lauren sighed.

The Valkyrie pulled her rebelling pants up once again, nearly tripping, and without turning around growled, "No, I usually recited the Crown of Sappho."

"Maybe you should have led with that." Lauren smiled despite herself.

"Sorry, my Greek is rusty and I bet yours is, too. Damn, you are hard to please!" the Valkyrie groused and stumbled her way both along the path and through the ancient verses. The path ended at a small forest glade, and even Lauren was awestruck by the beauty of the secluded waterfall and overcome by the sweet smell of honeysuckle blossoms and other wild flowers.

She sat still, taking it all in until the Valkyrie grabbed her waist and helped her down off the unicorn. It was then she noticed the irritating chaffing riding bareback with bare legs caused. Tamsin pulled her lips back in a grimace and apologized, "Ohhhhh….yeah….sorry about that. Guess I should have warned you about that, too."

"Ya THINK!?" the doctor huffed indignantly and went to the small pool to put some cooling water on her painful red skin.

Tamsin stayed put and released the unicorn, slapping him on the hindquarters to encourage him to leave. But he didn't go far, and trotted closer to the pool of water to drink next to the doctor. While he did, he began to urinate. Lauren moved away quickly and Tamsin ran up to chase him off. The animal seemed to think it was a game, and every time the Valkyrie turned her back, convinced he was leaving for good, he came back only to be chased away again. He tossed his head and whinnied, almost as if he were mocking her. Dr. Lewis began laughing uncontrollably when Tamsin's sweatpants won their war of rebellion and fell far enough down to cause her to trip over them and tumble in an ungraceful tangle of arms and legs. "If you were attempting to seduce me, Tamsin – I have to tell you it isn't working!"

The Valkyrie rolled onto her back, but didn't get up. "Alright…alright – I give up. You win. Both of you!" She tossed the remaining carrots away after the animal had nudged her with his nose, eager to continue their play. Once he wandered off after them, Lauren sat down next to the inert blonde and smoothed out her skirt.

"This is how you got women to drop their panties for you, huh?" the doctor asked sardonically with a smirk.

"No, this is how I got the shit slapped out of me. Even when everything else went right. Fuck my life." Tamsin was idly looking trough the wildflowers around her, not daring to look Lauren in the eye as she confessed her failure.

"Sooo, this isn't how you seduced Bo?" Lauren asked, more in curiosity than anything.

"Psshhh, no. I gave up on romance long ago. That's why I moved on to men – they are too easy. Show some flesh and interest and it's a done deal. Same with a Succubus." She shrugged. "And now you know. I thought you might like to see paradise. I just wanted to make you smile. I …I don't like it when people cry."

"Well, I appreciate the effort. It **is** beautiful here. And romance is always better in our minds without the harsh realities of life." Lauren believed now that the Valkyrie had been trying to cheer her up and take her mind off of her sorrow. But only in the failure of her efforts had she succeeded as they shared a mutual empathy for each other.

"I thought you might like it." Tamsin smiled and pulled a small purple flower from its stem. A shimmer of glowing silver burst into the air when she did so, and the Valkyrie's eyes lit up as she watched it. "That's good luck for me!"

The doctor's curiosity was piqued, and she leaned forward to take the flower from her, "Let me see that…"

"NO! You just want to study it for science…and stuff! Just let it be magical, Lewis! Don't put in a test tube to be analyzed and labeled!" Tamsin whined and pulled it farther away as the human straddled her to keep her from squirming away.

"Give it to me, Tamsin!" By the time Lauren realized the position she had put herself in she was panting and her heart was racing. She stopped her efforts, outstretched arms pinning the blonde fae's to the ground as she felt embarrassed at the inadvertent arousal percolating up from her core. And the judging by the roses blooming on the Valkyrie's cheeks, she was feeling the same even if she tried to dismiss it with her sarcasm.

"Why Dr. Lewis, are you trying to seduce _me_? Because if you are, I have to confess that your technique is shit!" she managed to get out between heaving breaths.

It was a feeble joke, they both knew it. Under normal circumstances, it would have been enough to get them smoothly out an awkward situation that had unintentionally grown too intimate for both of them. This was their oft rehearsed play – and this was the part where Lauren knew she was supposed to make a condescending quip about the Valkyrie's immaturity so they could both laugh it off and she could go home. Home to her empty bed so she could cry her eyes out and try not to imagine whom it was the Succubus had lured into her own bed to keep her company. As she mulled over her short term future, she felt the blonde fae shiver slightly under her body and something within her snapped as she went off script. "You know what – you talk too much for your own good, Tamsin!" Dr. Lewis murmured before she leaned down and kissed the Valkyrie none too chastely, her tongue pressing against the trembling lips beneath her demanding they open for her.


End file.
